


Happy Circumstance Part II

by deanislife



Series: Happy Circumstances [2]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 19:19:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 87,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18104798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deanislife/pseuds/deanislife
Summary: Jared and Jensen have shared their pasts and have decided they want to move forward together. The problem? Jensen is heading back to Texas.This part focuses more on Jensen's journey and family while still including Jared's story.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry that it has taken me so long to get this posted. NO excuses.  
> I'm still working on the ending and it is giving me a rough road. This one will be posted slower than the last part. My apologies in advance.

Washington, D.C., May 11th, 2007

 

Chapter One

 

After kissing Jared and closing the door behind him, Jensen spread his arms wide and tilted his head back with a huge grin on his face. Then he wrapped his arms around himself and moved back to the bedroom. Waking up with Jared in his bed, in his arms, was the greatest feeling in the world. Jared trusted him. Jared had heard all of Jensen’s stories, all the times that he had been rejected, and Jared still wanted him. He didn’t care about Jensen’s damage. Jensen didn’t care about Jared’s either. It was as if they were made to go through these things in order to be perfect for each other. He felt so good this morning.

He grinned all the way back to his bedroom. He crawled back under the sheets and discovered that the warm spot from Jared’s body was still there. He laid right in the middle of it and curled up. Jensen sniffed the pillowcase, smiled, snuggled deeper, and went back to sleep.

When Jensen woke the second time for the day, he realized he’d better get a move on. He had packing to take care of, and he needed to make a run to a charity drop off to get rid of some of his stuff. He quickly ate breakfast and loaded his donations into his car. Just as he was getting ready to head out the door, his text alert sounded. Thinking it was Jared, he whipped his phone out to read it.

Instead of Jared’s name, he saw a number he didn’t recognize. As he flipped his phone open to read the message, he tried to figure out who might be contacting him and couldn’t come up with any good ideas. He was surprised to see the text that he got.

_Unknown: Is this Jensen? This is Ken. From San Antonio. Do you have a minute?_

_Jensen: Ken? How are you?_

_Unknown: I’m healing. Getting better. Can I call you?_

_Jensen: Yeah._

Jensen moved back into his apartment to sit on his couch. As he waited for his phone to ring, his mind began to replay the last time he had seen Ken. It was that night at the bar as Ken was being loaded into the ambulance, bleeding and dazed. He shook his head to clear the images from it. He didn’t want to remember Ken that way.

When his phone rang, he picked up quickly.

“Hello? Ken?”

“Yes. Hello, Jensen.” Ken’s voice sounded through the phone. He sounded nervous.

“What can I do for you?” Jensen asked trying to soothe the man into a comfortable conversation. He knew this was going to be awkward though.

“I, uh… I’m calling to thank you for what you did for me. Last weekend. I’m grateful to you for your help.” Ken stated.

“Hey! No problem. I’m sorry that I didn’t get there sooner. I wish I could have stopped him from hurting you at all.”

Ken laughed self-deprecatingly and said, “You would have had to be there two years ago for that to happen.”

“Man, I’m sorry.” Jensen said softly.

“I did it to myself. I allowed it. I had opportunities to get away, but I didn’t do anything to stop it. So, thank you for helping me break the pattern.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I know that someone else came forward to make a statement. Someone other than you and Austin. Can you tell me if it was Jared?” Ken asked. “The police won’t tell me, but I can’t come up with anyone else it might be.”

“Um…” Jensen started.

“I’d just like to thank him. The fact that someone else stepped up gave me the courage to speak up for myself.” Ken paused and then continued with a determined sounding voice. “I’m not going to relent on this thing this time. I want him to stay away from me. I’m not going back there ever again.” Ken said adamantly. “I won’t do it.”

“I believe you, Ken.” Jensen said softly. “Listen. Can you call me back later tonight? Maybe seven your time? I’ll let you know something then.”

“Yeah, sure.” Ken replied. “Jensen, without getting into too much detail, I want you to know that you saved me. You and Austin. That wasn’t the first time he had gotten physical like that with me, but it felt like it was going to be so much worse than it had before. It had already been a pretty awful night before that, and I was scared. So thank you for stepping up. For stepping in.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“I’ll call back later.”

After hanging up, Jensen sat staring out the sliding glass doors that led to his back balcony. He thought about what Ken had just admitted to him. Nathan’s attacks were getting worse and more physical. Jensen had to thank God that Jared had gotten out when he did. Eventually, he got moving to finish up his errands for the day.

 

Jared sat at his desk with his chin in his hand, lost in thought. He was thinking back to the night before, remembering the closeness he felt, the soft kisses, feeling Jensen’s arms around him. He smiled wistfully. He eventually moved on to planning what he would make Jensen for dinner when his boss popped his head around the corner of Jared’s cubicle.

“Hey, Jared?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Got a minute?” Mr. Douglas asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Jared answered indicating that Mr. Douglas could step inside.

“Listen,” he started as he sat in the chair opposite Jared’s workspace. “I was chatting with Franklin about you. I told him how impressed I have been by your work ethic and your demeanor. He asked me to invite you over on Sunday to have a late brunch with us. I think it’s a great idea. So if you’re up for it?”

“That sounds great!” Jared answered. “Would it be okay if I brought my, um… Well, I guess he’s my boyfriend.”

“You _guess_ he’s your boyfriend?” Mr. Douglas said with a smile. When Jared shrugged, he barked out a quick laugh.

“Well, that would be the most convenient thing to call him,” Jared explained sheepishly. He looked up at his boss and smiled. “But it feels like more than that. ‘Boyfriend’ almost sounds temporary. Y’know?”

“Wow. A lot has changed since I spoke with you on Tuesday. I think you told me that you had just met someone.”

“Yeah,” Jared grinned. “We spent the weekend together in San Antonio at my brother’s wedding. Last night was the first time I’ve seen him since we got back on Monday night. It was good. We figured some stuff out.” Jared smiled. “I’m not afraid of moving forward anymore, so that’s good.”

“That’s great.” Mr. Douglas replied, smiling. “I’d love to meet him. Please bring him with you.”

“I think that would be nice, Mr. Douglas. Thank you.”

“Please call me Steve.” Mr. Douglas replied. He handed Jared a piece of paper with some information written down. “Here’s our address and the times and such. Franklin wrote it out for you last night in case you said yes.”

“Wow! Thanks.” Jared said bewildered.

“We’ll talk about that other thing on Sunday if that works?” he added, turning his head slightly to the side.

“Absolutely. Sounds good.” Jared smiled.

“Great. That phone number on there is my cell phone. Please add me to your contacts.” Mr. Douglas said.

“Thank you, sir.” Jared answered. “I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“Excellent. See you then.”

Mr. Douglas waved and exited Jared’s cubicle. Jared sat there stunned. His boss had just invited him to spend Sunday early afternoon with him and his partner. Jared wasn’t sure what to do with that. His life seemed to be looking up in a lot of ways all of a sudden, and he couldn’t wrap his mind around it. He shook his head and grinned to himself.

 

Jared practically ran out of the building at quitting time to get to his truck. He couldn’t wait to get home. Even though he had to stop off at the store on the way in, he made it home in record time. He seasoned the steaks, put the potatoes in the oven, quickly tossed a salad, and ran to the shower to get clean before Jensen’s arrival. Gen was going to Scott’s tonight, but she was stopping by the apartment first to get her things. She would be there to greet Jensen if Jared wasn’t ready yet, so he decided to take his time and just give himself a chance to think.

Jared ran through recent events as he soaped and rinsed his hair and his body. First, he met Jensen by chance at a diner. That didn’t end the way he had hoped, but a seed had been planted, a need to get on with his life. Next he decided to do something completely out of character and hire an escort for his brother’s wedding. Then that escort had to cancel due to a sick mother, and Jared ended up with Jensen who doesn’t even work as an escort. Then because Jensen had his back, Jared was strong enough to make it through the wedding, stand up to Nathan, come clean with his entire family about his history with Nathan, and make a statement to the police regarding the abuse he’d suffered at Nathan’s hands. All of these connected events helped free him from years of self-doubt and a long-term separation from his family. Now he knew his family loved him and that they had been worried about him. That knowledge was a gift.

Then beyond all of that, Jared had met and gotten to know Jensen who was a Godsend for him. So patient and gentle. Someone who had been hurt in the past and knew what it meant to be afraid and cautious toward love and letting people in. Someone who had never made Jared feel anxious or scared. Someone who felt like home.

Then Jared’s hope to be able to return to Texas sooner rather than later was beginning to look like a possibility. More than a possibility: a probability with a high percentage. It was just a matter of timing.

As Jared rinsed the conditioner out of his hair, he began to laugh. _Grandad_ , he thought. _If this is you, please keep it coming. I appreciate it._ He toweled off and got dressed. Tonight, for comfort, he wore an old pair of faded, ripped jeans and a plain, red, v-neck t-shirt.

When he walked out of his bedroom, he could hear Jensen’s voice. He moved steadily toward it with a grin on his face. As he looked into the kitchen, he saw Genevieve, propped against the counter, eating a cheese stick. Jensen was seated at the table chatting about his favorite dishes from home.

When the timer for Jared’s potatoes went off, Gen moved to grab a potholder to get them out of the oven. Jared smiled at her willingness to help him even when he was preparing dinner for someone else. He stepped into the kitchen and said hello to both of them. Jensen’s eyes lit up as he looked at Jared. Gen just grinned at what she could see in their faces.

“Hey, Texas!” she said, putting the potatoes on the countertop. “You making your phenomenal twice-bakeds?”

“Yeah,” Jared said not looking away from Jensen’s beautiful smile. “I’m making extra so you can take them with you to Scott’s.”

“You do love me, don’t you?” Gen said giving him a big hug.

“Of course,” Jared laughed, finally turning to face her. “Now move, woman. Let me get to work.”

He gathered his ingredients and moved into position. As he worked, he listened to Jensen and Genevieve chatting about a wide range of topics. He joined in when he felt like it, but for the most part, he let them go. It was great to hear them getting along so well. They made each other laugh multiple times which caused Jared to grin. He finally got the potatoes ready to go back in the oven.

“Gen, do you want me to wrap yours up now or do you want me to go ahead and finish them off?”

“You can wrap them. I’ll get out of here and let you guys have your alone time.” Gen smiled. “Just tell me what to do with them when I get there.”

Jared quickly wrapped the potatoes for Gen and got his and Jensen’s back in the oven. He talked while he worked to make sure she knew what to do. As she left, she gave Jensen a hug and patted him on the back. Jensen hugged her in return and smiled at her as she pulled away.

“It’s been great talking with you, Jensen.” Gen offered. “I look forward to doing it again soon.”

“I’ve enjoyed it, too. Maybe next Friday, we can all go out for dinner together.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see what Scott wants to do.”

She gave Jared a quick kiss on the cheek, grabbed her potatoes and headed out. Jared headed out to the balcony and fired up the grill. As the grill heated, he grabbed a couple of beers and handed one off to Jensen.

“How was your day?” Jared asked. “I haven’t had a chance to even really say hello to you yet.”

“I know, sorry about that, but Gen is great. It was nice to get to talk with her.” Jensen smiled, then he looked up at Jared from under his eyelashes. “I guess you could come over here and tell me hello now.”

“Yeah,” Jared answered, moving closer. “I can.”

He sat his beer down on the closest flat surface and moved toward Jensen. He placed his hands on Jensen’s hips and tugged him forward. Jensen placed his hands on Jared’s biceps and leaned in.

“Hello,” Jared said placing a small kiss on Jensen’s nose.

“Hi there,” Jensen replied kissing Jared on the tip of his chin. “It’s nice to see you.”

“You, too.” Jared replied. He reached up with his left hand and traced Jensen’s lips with his thumb. Jensen kissed Jared’s thumb before Jared could move it away. Jared leaned in and kissed Jensen softly on the mouth. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” Jensen kissed Jared back.

“Now, I need to go get the steaks or our dinner will be ruined.” Jared whispered before moving away.

“Aw man!” Jensen laughed.


	2. Chapter Two

 

Jared cooked the steaks to perfection, and Jensen complimented him several times on his twice-baked potatoes. One of Jared’s favorite hobbies was practicing his culinary skills, so the fact that Jensen was enjoying everything gave Jared a sense of pride. They both devoured everything on their plates, and Jensen even got a second serving of salad before putting his fork down. They quickly cleaned up the kitchen together with Jensen washing and Jared putting away as they laughed and talked about a variety of subjects. Once everything was in its place, Jared took Jensen’s hand and led him to the living room. He grabbed the remote and switched on the television. They flipped channels until they found a rerun of _12 Monkeys_ and settled in.

Just as they got situated, Jensen’s phone rang.

“Aw shit! I forgot.” Jensen said.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ken called me earlier today and asked to talk to you. I didn’t tell him yes or no, just asked him to call back. This is him.” Jensen explained quickly.

“Well, answer and see what he wants.” Jared said.

Jensen answered the call. As he spoke to Ken, he pointed at Jared and nodded. Then mouthed silently, “He wants to talk to you.” Jared nodded and shrugged.

“He’s right here. I’ll put him on, okay?” Jensen handed Jared the phone.

“Hello?” Jared said.

“Jared? This is Ken. From San Antonio.” Came Ken’s nervous voice. “I’m so sorry to bother you.”

“It’s no bother, Ken. What’s up?”

“I’m sorry to ask you this, but… were you the one who stepped forward and gave the police a statement about Nathan?” Ken asked hesitatingly.

“Why?” Jared asked, unsure where this was going.

“Someone stepped forward and described what had happened to them when they were with Nathan. I thought it must have been you. I don’t think he dated anyone for very long between your relationship with him and me.” Ken began. “I wanted to thank whoever it was because they gave me the courage to stand up for myself and tell the truth. Jensen helped me, too, of course. But… I just wanted to thank you if it was you.”

“It was me.” Jared said.

Ken began to cry on the other end of the phone. Jared swallowed and sought out Jensen’s hand, unable to make eye contact. His eyes were welling up, and he couldn’t speak.

“Jared,” Ken gasped. “Thank you. Thank you. So much.”

“It’s okay, Ken.” Jared’s tears spilled over. Jensen moved closer and wrapped an arm around him. “Ken? Are you by yourself?”

“No. Austin is here with me.” Ken responded, taking a shaky breath. “I just… I can’t believe that someone would do that. For me. And… I wanted you to know how grateful I am. He was… I, um,” Ken stopped and took a deep breath. “I hated you.”

“What?” Jared gasped. Jensen leaned forward to catch Jared’s eye, concerned. Jared looked panicked.

“He told me that you were perfect. That you did everything for him. That you wanted it all from him and looked so pretty doing it. He told me that he missed you, and that I was a poor replacement.” Ken whispered. “I believed him. And I hated you.”

“Oh Ken.” Jared whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“No! Don’t say that. _I’m_ sorry.” Ken said firmly. “I fell for everything. Low self-esteem to start with. It just got worse. And I let him do things. Jared, I _let_ him…” Ken broke off as his sobs overwhelmed him.

“Ken. No. He is a master at manipulation. Don’t take that on yourself.” Jared was firm. “He’s got issues. There is no doubt, but it’s on him.”

“I wanted to show you how perfect things were with us, so that you would feel bad for leaving him. I wanted to show you that I made him happy.” Ken sniffled. “But it was awful! He was so angry all weekend. It started with the family dinner. He wanted to be part of that and he was told to leave. That set him off. I couldn’t do anything to make him happy, and he let me have it. It was so scary.” Ken confessed.

“Ken, I understand. I do. You don’t have to apologize.” Jared said. When Jensen gave him a questioning look, Jared shrugged.

“After you spoke to me in the bathroom, I started to wonder.” Ken’s breath hitched as he spoke. He sounded broken, and Jared knew very well how that felt. “Then when they told me that someone gave a statement, I figured it out. It had to be you. It _had_ to be you.”

“Ken, are you okay?” Jared asked.

“I will be.” Ken paused. Then he began to cry again, harder than before. “Jared. He raped me.”

“What?” Jared gasped, heart moving to his throat. He felt so helpless listening to this from hundreds of miles away.

“When we left the rehearsal dinner.” Ken continued haltingly through the tears. Jared gasped and tightened his grip on Jensen who only moved closer and began to gently rub Jared’s back. “We went back to the hotel to change. He started screaming at me. I said…something over dinner… I don’t remember what…he didn’t like it. He told me that I shouldn’t talk about things I have no knowledge of. Especially in front of his friends. He said I should keep my mouth shut. He started shoving me.” Ken paused for a deep breath. “I tried… I tried to reason with him, but… he slapped me, twisted my arm. He…pushed me down…face first into the bed. He held me there. And I was so scared.” Jared’s heart broke just a little bit more for the man on the phone. He could hear quiet murmuring on the other end. Then Ken continued, “He said that he would show me what I was good for. The _only_ thing I was good for.” Ken paused again, sobbing hard, and then gasped out. “He said awful things to me. He was so angry. So cold. And it hurt. So much.”

“Ken, I’m so sorry.” Jared gasped out. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“After… after it was over… he told me to clean up the mess I had made. Then he said that I wasn’t allowed to speak to anyone for the rest of the night. That I wasn’t paid to think, so I’d better get over the notion that I could do it with any sort of talent.” Ken breathed out a heavy, stuttering breath. “Well, you know how the rest of the night went.”

“Ken, listen to me, okay?” Jared pleaded, tears running down his cheeks. “None of this was ever about you. I recently realized that none of it was ever about me either.”

Ken laughed bitterly through his tears. “Okay? What do you mean?”

“I’ve been talking with a friend of mine about all of this, and she helped me. I realized. I realized that this is all about my brother.” Jared looked at Jensen after he said it. Jensen’s eyes widened in shock, but he looked like a light bulb had gone off. “Nathan has been in love with Jeff for years.”

“What?” Ken hiccupped and sniffled. “I don’t understand.”

“I found out on Sunday. I never knew. Jeff never told me.” He heaved a sigh and then continued. “Apparently, Jeff was nice to Nathan after a particularly difficult episode between him and his father. Nathan saw him as his knight in shining armor and never really gave up that idea.” Jared found himself talking to Jensen just as much as he was to Ken at this point. They had never had a chance to hash this out, but Jared felt that Genevieve was right about her theories. “Listen, Ken. Nathan hates himself, he has a ton of issues with his father, and I think a large amount of what he does stems from that relationship. You and I were just convenient ways to act out his hatred for himself. _And_ we just happened to remind him of Jeff. He can’t have Jeff, so he looks for replacements who never live up to his expectations.”

Ken was quietly crying on the other end of the phone.

“So, please!” Jared begged. “Please don’t let him shape the way you think about yourself. It has never been about you. Believe me.”

“Oh my God,” Ken whispered.

“You are strong. Stronger than you realize. To have endured what you have? To have gone through what you went through after that dinner, and then to go through the rest of the evening without giving any clues as to what happened? Ken, that is astounding. I don’t know how you did that. To put yourself back together after that and spend the rest of the evening in his company? Shit!”

“I had to do it.” Ken whispered.

“No. You didn’t.” Jared pressed. “But you did. You made it through instead of just falling apart.”

“I... I had to keep going.”

“Exactly. _You_ kept going. _You_ did that!” Jared continued. “And then you spoke up. It doesn’t matter how you got to that point. You spoke up and told the police what you’ve been going through. It took me years to do that. I didn’t even tell my parents anything until this past Sunday. I know that I should have, but I wasn’t brave enough.” Jared paused. “But Ken, you’re amazing!”

“No. I’m not.” Ken said quietly. “I never would have done that without you, Jensen, and… Austin.”

Jared could hear murmuring in the background again, and then what sounded like a kiss. He smiled in response to the kindness he could hear.

“Well, I’m glad that I helped you in whatever way I did.” Jared said. “I know Jensen was happy to help as well. That’s who he is.” Jensen smiled. “Just…please think about what I’ve said. I’m working through it, too. But it didn’t have anything to do with us. Not really.”

“Okay.” Ken said softly. Jared could hear murmuring again. “Jared? Austin would like to speak with you. If that’s okay.”

“Um, sure.” Jared said in confusion. There was a muffled exchange and then Austin was on the phone.

“Hang on a second.” Austin said and then there was a quiet conversation. The sound of a door opening and closing and then Austin was back. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem.” Jared answered. “What can I do for you?”

“First, I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you when you were in town. That Jensen is something else, man.”

“Yeah,” Jared answered, rubbing his thumb over Jensen’s hand and smiling softly at him. “Yeah, he is.”

“Listen, I just wanted to thank you for coming forward. It meant a lot to Ken. It means a lot to me, too. I, uh, I feel horrible for my part in what happened that night. I’ve apologized to Ken for it already. Multiple times. And…I want to help him get through this. I want to be there for him. He’s pretty special.”

“Okay.” Jared said, still confused as to what Austin needed from him.

“Sorry, I’m rambling. I’m nervous.” Austin took a deep breath. “He’s hurt and a bit broken. I want to help him, but I don’t want to cause more trouble than I solve. I was hoping that you could help me figure out how to do that.”

“Oh!” Jared finally got it. “Do you care about him? Or do you just feel guilty about what happened?”

“Wow.” Austin cleared his throat. “You get right to it, don’t you?”

“Well?” Jared was not willing to let it go without an answer.

“It started out with me just feeling guilty, but I’ve gotten to know him better over the last few days.” Austin’s voice softened. “He’s so strong and resilient. He’s been through so much, but he’s still kind and caring. He’s amazing. I would like to be here for him because I really like him. I care about him and what’s gonna happen to him, y’know?”

“Well, that’s a great place to start.” Jared said softly. “You have to be honest with yourself though. If it starts to be about guilt and not care, you need to walk away. Don’t give him something you don’t intend to follow through on. Don’t play with him.”

“I won’t.” Austin pledged. “I want to see him happy. I can’t even imagine how brightly he’ll shine then.”

Jared’s eyes filled with tears again at the love he could hear in Austin’s voice. He continued, “It sounds like you’re coming from a good place on this. But you know his history. I mean, you know everything. He has placed you in a position of trust. You know what he’s been through. You can’t screw that up. You have to be patient and gentle. You have to allow him time to heal. Let him set the pace.” Jared looked deep into Jensen’s eyes, and said, “If you are steady and honest, patient, and willing to let him lead, he’ll love you for it. Just remember that this is really fresh for him.”

“Okay.” Austin said. “I think I can do that. I want to do that. For him.”

“Good.” Jared said, “If you or Ken need anything give us a call, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Austin replied. “Thank you, Jared. For everything. For me and for him.”

“Happy to help.” Jared answered. He promised to get both of their numbers from Jensen and make contact with them. Then they could have his number as well if they needed it. After he ended the call, he looked back at Jensen again. “I think they’ll be okay.”

“What happened?” Jensen asked softly. Jensen had gathered some of the conversation but not all of it. As Jared recounted what had happened, tears began to slide down his cheeks again. When he told Jensen about the episode between the dinner and the boy’s night out, Jensen covered his face with both hands.

“Damn it!” Jensen swore, smacking his hands down on his legs. He began to rub his hands together with the thought of getting them around Nathan’s scrawny little neck.

“Jen?” Jared said softly. Jensen immediately refocused on Jared. “I just keep thinking, that could have been me. If I hadn’t gotten out when I did, that might have been me.”

“Oh God!” Jensen said, grabbing Jared’s face and looking into Jared’s eyes. “Jay, I’d kill him. I swear it! If he ever did that to you, I would string him up by his balls.” Jared smiled. Jensen wiped some of the tears off Jared’s face. “I swear, Jay. I would.”

Jared tilted his face to snuggle into Jensen’s hand and whispered, “I know, Jensen. But thankfully, I don’t need you to. I don’t think you would look all that great in prison orange.”

“You never know. Orange could be my color.” Jensen joked back. He knew Jared was trying to lighten the mood. He leaned in and placed thankful kisses on Jared’s forehead and cheeks. “I’m so glad you got out of that, Jay. I’m so glad you’re here with me instead.”

“Me too.” Jared whispered. “I can’t imagine what Ken must have gone through. The terror and the pain of all of that. God!”

“C’mon, Jay.” Jensen whispered giving more gentle kisses, trying to distract Jared from Ken’s pain. “That’s not you. That’s not your problem. You deal with what’s yours.”

“Yeah,” Jared sighed softly. He kissed Jensen back. “Yeah, I’ll deal with what’s mine.”

The two men settled back into the couch, lost in their own thoughts for a bit. Jared rested his head against Jensen’s shoulder and took Jensen’s hand in his own.

“Stay with me tonight.” Jared whispered into Jensen’s ear. “We can stay in bed all day tomorrow if we want to. There’s no reason to hurry. We can just lay there and be together.”

“Yeah, Jay.” Jensen said. “That sounds good.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Jensen answered.

“No, I mean for everything. For being you.” Jared turned so he could look into Jensen’s eyes. “I was thinking earlier about how everything has happened to get us here. A lot of dominoes had to fall just right to get us here.”

“Yeah.” Jensen answered making himself more comfortable on the couch cushions. “I was thinking about that too. How we both have stuff that has hurt us. You know mine. I know yours. And I think it’s made us better able to be together. You know? ‘Cause we get it.”

“Yeah.” Jared sighed. “And I think my grandad had something to do with it.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Does that sound weird?” Jared asked shyly.

“Not at all. If he did have a hand in this, I can only thank him from the bottom of my heart.” Jensen said sincerely. “If he made this happen, I can’t wait to shake his hand someday.”

Jared smiled and wiggled a bit on the couch. He leaned toward Jensen, trying to get closer, but the couch was not helping him any.

“There’s only one problem I can see with all of this.” Jared smiled. When Jensen raised his eyebrows, Jared continued. “This couch isn’t big enough.”

“Agreed.” Jensen laughed. “Move that gorgeous, giant body of yours and let’s get comfortable.”

Jared laughed and pushed himself off the couch. He reached out a hand to help Jensen to his feet and pulled him straight into a hug. Wrapping both arms around Jensen, Jared hummed. “This feels like home to me. Standing here with you in my arms.”

“Jay,” Jensen hummed in response.

“I never thought I could have this. I never thought I’d be able to feel like this. We have to make this work, Jen.” Jared said with determination.

“We will.” Jensen answered lifting onto his tip toes. He placed a few quick kisses on Jared’s jawline and whispered. “I won’t let you go, Jay. I can’t.”

Jared tucked his nose into Jensen’s neck and breathed him in. He felt calm and safe here. He squeezed Jensen closer in his arms, causing Jensen to grunt.

“Oh sorry!” Jared said easing his hold a bit. “Genevieve is always telling me that I don’t know my own strength.”

Jensen pulled back a bit and looked into Jared’s eyes, smiling a soft smile.

“Don’t apologize for who you are. I quite like the fact that you are larger than me. I like that you are strong enough to make me grunt when you squeeze. I think I’m digging the idea of being manhandled a bit here and there.” Jensen smiled. “Just please don’t pick me up in public.”

“You got it!” Jared smiled. “Follow me!”

He grabbed Jensen’s hands and tugged him to the hallway. Jared let go with one hand and turned away from Jensen. He felt Jensen stop behind him. He turned back toward him again.

“What’s wrong?” Jared asked.

“I, uh… I need to grab something.” Jensen said shyly.

“Okay.” Jared let go. Jensen turned away quickly and sprinted around the corner to the front door. He returned in just a few seconds with a backpack in his hand. He blushed when Jared looked at the bag and then at him.

“I was hoping you would ask me to stay.” Jensen shrugged. “Was I being too forward?”

Jared threw his head back and laughed. He gathered Jensen into his arms and said, “Absolutely not!”

 

 “How am I supposed to fit?” Jensen asked as he crawled across the bed toward Jared after they had both prepared for bed. Jared was sitting near the headboard leaning against his big, comfy reading pillow. He had a movie cued up and ready to go on his T.V.

“Right here.” Jared answered opening his legs and patting the space between them. “C’mon! Let me hold you while we watch a movie.”

Jensen pretended to consider whether or not that was a good idea. He tapped his chin and hummed.

“Well,” he finally said. “If you insist.” And snuggled into the space Jared had made for him. As he leaned back into Jared’s chest he sighed happily. “Oh this is nice. You make a lovely chair, Jay.”

Jared wrapped both arms around Jensen, snuggled into Jensen’s neck again and giggled. “This works for me.” His voice was muffled by Jensen’s skin and the vibrations made Jensen squirm. Jared noticed, held on tighter and started reciting the prologue to _The Canterbury Tales_ that he had learned in his twelfth grade English class. As he spoke, Jensen continued to writhe in his arms, giggling occasionally.

“Jay! Stop!” Jensen rumbled and sat up, trying to get away from Jared’s mouth on his neck. “You are killing me!”

Jared laughed and chased Jensen, tickling what he could reach. In the process, they landed with Jensen on his back, and Jared sprawled half on top of him. Jared’s chest was on top of Jensen’s, but his lower half was on the bed. Both of them were breathing heavy and smiling. Jared stilled and looked down at Jensen.

“Hey!” he whispered.

“Hey!” Jensen answered softly.

“Tell me if I need to stop.” Jared whispered.

“Stop what?” Jensen answered, eyes beginning to dilate.

“This.” Jared smiled and then leaned forward, placing his mouth on Jensen’s and running his tongue along Jensen’s plush lips. Jensen moaned and lifted his head. He opened his mouth and let Jared in. Jared shifted along the bed without breaking contact. He now had his bottom half lying on his side along Jensen’s right leg. He carefully placed his top leg between Jensen’s slightly spread ones. Jensen’s only response was to wrap his arms around Jared even tighter. Jensen reached up with one hand and found a handful of Jared’s hair. He ran his fingers through it and tugged just the slightest bit. Jared moaned into his mouth giving his approval of Jensen’s actions.

Jared’s right hand found Jensen’s bicep and he began to trace the muscle there with his fingertips. He broke his mouth from Jensen’s and ran his tongue along Jensen’s jawline, enjoying the slight rasp of stubble he found. His tongue tingled from the stimulation. His fingers followed Jensen’s shoulder, along Jensen’s collarbone, and dipped into the neck of Jensen’s shirt collar. As he stroked along the inside of the collar, Jensen moaned.

“Jay!” Jensen’s voice was hoarse. “Jay, that feels good.” Jensen stretched his neck back to allow Jared more room.

“Are you sure?” Jared asked huskily. “I want you to feel good.”

Jensen tugged Jared’s hair again and felt Jared catch his breath.

“I want you to feel good, too. Jay, I need you to feel good.” Jensen whispered.

“Oh God!” Jared moaned as he ran his lips down Jensen’s neck. “I do. Trust me. I do.”

They continued to murmur encouraging words to one another as they explored mouths and necks and earlobes. Jared discovered a spot behind Jensen’s ear that made him gasp with pleasure. Jensen discovered that Jared’s Adam’s apple was a source of great intensity for Jared. They continued to explore until Jensen accidentally found bare skin below Jared’s t-shirt hem. His fingers drifted below Jared’s shirt along the top of Jared’s shorts. Jared gasped and pulled back to look at Jensen. Jensen’s eyes widened, and he began to apologize.

“No. Jen, it’s okay. Don’t apologize.” Jared said. He sat up slowly and gazed down at Jensen. He leaned forward and kissed Jensen’s cheeks and nose. He sat back up, grabbed the hem of his shirt with both hands and quickly lifted it off. He lifted Jensen’s hand and placed it in the middle of his own chest. “Please. Touch me.”

Jensen sat up and let his eyes drift over Jared’s muscular chest. He looked at his own hand in the middle of that expanse and took a deep breath. After letting it out slowly, he whispered. “You are beautiful, Jay.”

Jensen maneuvered himself into a more comfortable position without removing his hand from Jared’s chest. He leaned forward and kissed Jared, right over his heart. He slowly moved his hand up to Jared’s collarbone and traced it with his fingertips. Jared closed his eyes and reached out to Jensen’s shoulder to tug on Jensen’s shirt sleeve.

“Please, Jen. Please, take it off.” Jared looked at Jensen with his head tilted.

“Yeah.” Jensen’s voice was rough. He lifted his arms over his head, looked Jared straight in the eye and said, “Help me.”

Jared was only too happy to oblige. He reached shaking hands to the hem of Jensen’s t-shirt and slid his fingers under the material’s edge. He then slid his hands along Jensen’s stomach and up to his chest, taking the shirt with him. Then he grabbed the hem and lifted the shirt along Jensen’s arms stopping to kiss Jensen’s mouth on the way up. Once he had the shirt off and in his hands, he dropped it to the side on the bed and brought his hand immediately back to Jensen’s chest.

He began to trace the muscles along Jensen’s stomach and watched as his fingers ran along the edges. He was mesmerized by the feel of Jensen’s skin. He looked into Jensen’s face and saw his own feeling of awe reflected back at him.

“Jensen?” Jared whispered. “Jen? Are you okay?”

“No.” Jensen answered. “I’m a hell of a lot better than okay. I feel… I can’t even describe it!”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Jensen lifted himself onto his knees and leaned down to Jared pressing kisses anywhere he could reach. Jared leaned back on his hands and opened himself up for Jensen’s touch. When Jensen eventually moved to Jared’s back, Jared laid face first on his bed and spread himself out for Jensen’s exploration. Jensen sat snug up to Jared’s side and began to trace the muscles in Jared’s shoulders, and then worked his way down Jared’s back. When he reached the dip in Jared’s lower back, he moaned in pleasure. Jared lifted his head to look back at Jensen.

“What’s going on?” he asked softly.

“You have the most beautiful lower back I have ever seen.” Jensen responded. “I know that sounds weird, but I’m a physical therapist. I’ve seen a lot of backs. And yours is the most perfect back ever.” He ran his fingers along the sway before it began to rise again at the top of Jared’s buttocks. “I’m going to kiss you here.” he whispered before leaning in to follow through.

Jared gasped at the sensation. He had never had anyone touch him in such a sensual, loving way before. He squirmed on the bed.

“Is this okay?” Jensen asked softly.

“Yeah, Jen. Yeah.” He answered.

Jensen began to explore Jared’s back in more detail placing kisses all along Jared’s spine, running his strong fingers along ribs and muscles alike. He wanted to learn every inch of this beautiful man in front of him. He stroked down each arm and along Jared’s long fingers, taking the time to touch each perfect nail before moving back up again. As he leaned in to place kisses along Jared’s shoulders, Jared pushed up on one arm and looked back at Jensen. Jensen felt Jared’s glance as if it were a touch.

Jared twisted and reached a hand behind Jensen’s head and softly pulled their mouths together. He turned onto his back and brought Jensen with him. Soon they were lying front to front with Jensen on top of Jared this time. Jared ran his fingers up and down Jensen’s back finding the edges of his muscles again and tracing each one. His fingers found the scar from the bar fight again and lingered there for a few minutes. Then he continued his exploration. He continued kissing Jensen and then ran his mouth along Jensen’s jawline again. When he got to Jensen’s earlobe, he whispered, “I have never felt the way I’m feeling right now. You have touched me in a way I could never have imagined. And I don’t mean just physically. You’ve touched me deeply. Jensen, I…” he swallowed, took a breath, then whispered. “I’m in love with you.”

Jensen quickly pushed away from Jared to look into his face. He could see the truth of the words in Jared’s eyes and tears filled his own eyes. He kissed Jared softly and moved away again and said, “Please say that again.”

“I’m in love with you.” Jared said happily looking directly into Jensen’s eyes.

Jensen surged forward and covered Jared’s face with kisses. He pulled away and looked straight into Jared’s eyes and said, “I’m in love with you. Have been since the first day in San Antonio.” He leaned in and kissed Jared again. “Thank you, Jay. Thank you so much!”

“For what?”

“For loving me back.” Jensen answered honestly.

“There was no other alternative.” Jared said with sincerity. “This was meant to be.” He blinked and swallowed. “I’m sorry it took me so long to trust myself. I’ve been feeling it for a while. I just needed to be sure.”

Jensen leaned in to kiss Jared again, and Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen pulling him in. They spent several minutes happily wrapped up in each other’s arms and sharing sweet kisses. Then Jared pulled away and laughed.

“What?” Jensen asked, dazed.

“We can’t ever seem to get through an entire movie together.” Jared said.

Jensen chuckled and said, “Let’s keep trying. I kinda like our distractions.”

“Yeah.” Jared said softly with a big smile on his face. “I do too.”

Jensen laid his head on Jared’s chest and listened to the strong beat under his ear. He ran his hand idly along Jared’s ribs, while Jared’s fingertip followed the swirl of Jensen’s exposed ear.

“Oh!” Jared said suddenly. “I forgot!”

“What?” Jensen asked, turning his face to look at Jared. He propped his chin on Jared’s sternum and Jared lifted his head off the bed to see Jensen’s face better.

“My boss, who told me to call him Steve by the way, has invited us to his house on Sunday. For brunch with him and his partner.” Jared laughed at the expression on Jensen’s face. “I know, right?”

Jensen sat up and looked down at Jared. “Is this weird?”

“It’s not something I expected to happen, but it isn’t really weird.” Jared explained about their last two conversations and how Steve had expressed his concern for Jared’s happiness. “I think he just wants to make sure I’m okay. It will also give us privacy to discuss my decision about working there. I figured, why not?” He paused and looked at Jensen. “Are you up for it? Will you be my plus one for the day?”

“Well, duh!” Jensen said, and then smiled. “I’d like to be your plus one for a really long time.” He chuckled. “What does one wear to a brunch at one’s fancy boss’s house?”

Jared laughed. “That, my dear, is a good question. I’ll text him tomorrow and clear up a few things, get some answers, then we’ll both know.”

Jensen yawned and then shook his head. “Sounds good.”

“Yeah, I’m getting tired too.” Jared said talking through his own yawn. “Ready to cuddle and crash?”

“Mmmm…” Jensen grinned. “Sounds even better.”

“No alarm clocks. No awaiting drama. Just you and me on a Saturday morning.” Jared whispered. “I really like the sound of that.”

“Me, too.”

They quickly turned off lights and scrambled under the covers. Then they tried to figure out how they wanted to sleep. Jensen finally grabbed Jared’s arm and turned away from him on his side placing Jared’s arm around his own chest. Jared snickered and scooted closer until his chest was snug against Jensen’s back. Jared then ran his nose along the nape of Jensen’s neck. He struggled for a few minutes with where he wanted to put his bottom arm until Jensen lifted his head and allowed Jared to lay it along the bottom of Jensen’s pillow. Jared made sure to keep it flat against the bed. Finally, they got settled enough to begin to relax.

Jared nuzzled the back of Jensen’s head and whispered, “You get to be the little spoon tonight.”

Jensen smiled and said, “Yep. I think I like it.”

Jared smiled in return and they both drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

 

By noon the next day, the pair had not yet left Jared’s bed. After sleeping until 10:00, they stayed in bed just talking. Jensen shared details about his conversation with his brother about the foundation. Jared shared what he knew about Jeff’s impromptu job-search in Austin and the Dallas area. They chatted about movies and music. They kissed and snuggled and touched. They just simply enjoyed being together.

When Genevieve walked back in the front door at 1:30, they were still in their sleep clothes. They had, however, made it to the kitchen for food. As Gen entered the kitchen and saw them sitting there with enormous smiles on their faces, she giggled.

“Both of you look like the cat who ate the canary.” She flopped into the open chair at the table.

“We just got out of bed a little while ago.” Jared smiled.

“TMI, dude!” Gen laughed.

“No! Not like that, Genevieve.” Jared blushed. Jensen grinned at her.

“I know, Jare,” she laughed. “I just like to make you blush.”

“It is a pretty blush, isn’t it?” Jensen asked slyly. Jared put his head on the table and groaned.

After a few more minutes of light chit-chat, Gen drifted away leaving them alone. Jared decided he’d better work out the details with Steve and walked off to grab his phone. Jensen began to wander around the living room to see what he could see.

When Jared walked back in with his phone in hand, he found Jensen sitting in front of his CD collection looking at the titles. Jared sat on the couch and sent a quick text to Steve.

_Jared: Hi, this is Jared. I have a couple of questions._

_Steve: Give me a minute and I’ll give you a call._

“He’s gonna call.” Jared said.

“Cool!” Jensen answered. He continued to thumb through the collection. “We have quite a few CDs in common.”

“Yeah?” Jared responded, watching the way Jensen’s back moved under his shirt, remembering how those muscles felt under his own hands. He stood up and walked over to where Jensen was sitting. He folded his large frame and ended up sitting beside Jensen on the floor. Jensen leaned into him while Jared placed one of his large hands on the back of Jensen’s neck.

“I like having your hand there.” Jensen stated without looking at Jared. “I feel grounded when you touch me.”

Jared leaned forward and placed a kiss on Jensen’s cheek. Words failed to express what that simple statement had done to him. Jensen sensed something was off and turned to find Jared’s eyes on him. Jared leaned forward and kissed Jensen softly.

“What?” Jensen asked.

“Nothing.” Jared said simply. “You make me happy.”

Jensen tilted his head to the side and leaned in to give Jared a soft kiss of his own. He nibbled Jared’s bottom lip before pulling away. Jared leaned back in and gave Jensen another kiss with a bit more heat behind it. Jensen met him kiss for kiss.

When Jared’s phone rang, he pulled reluctantly away from Jensen and answered it breathlessly.

“Hello?”

“Hey Jared,” Steve answered. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Oh! No, sir.” Jared cleared his throat and looked into Jensen’s eyes. “Just hanging out with Jensen.”

“Is that your significant other?”

Jared laughed. “Yes. Well, that’s one way to classify him, I guess.”

Steve laughed in return. “You guys haven’t ironed that out yet, huh?”

“No. Not quite yet.”

They continued their conversation with Jared getting answers to directions and attire. He also wanted to know if they needed to bring anything with them. After getting all the details decided, Jared thanked Steve once again for the invitation and got off the phone.

“Okay, so casual attire. Jeans are fine. I know where they live. We can take something if we want to, but it isn’t necessary.” Jared rattled off.

“Sounds good.” Jensen answered. After a brief pause, he asked, “What did you mean when you said ‘that’s one way to classify him’?”

Jared looked embarrassed and looked down at the ground. “I don’t know what to call you.”

“Huh?” Jensen was confused.

“I don’t know what to call you.” Jared said again looking directly at Jensen. “What do you want me to call you when I introduce you to people or talk about you when you aren’t there?”

“Well, in San Antonio, didn’t we say we were boyfriends?” Jensen was still confused.

“Yes, but…” Jared stalled.

“But?” Jensen asked. “You don’t want to be my boyfriend?”

“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” Jared said getting up and walking over to the couch.

“I doubt it.” Jensen stood up and walked toward him. “What’s going on?”

“Okay, here goes.” Jared took a deep breath and started, “‘Boyfriend’ sounds like less than what you are to me. It almost sounds temporary. ‘Partner’ sounds like too much since we have only officially been together for about 48 hours. ‘Lover’ doesn’t quite fit yet and sounds too personal. You are truly a ‘miracle’ but I can’t really introduce you as ‘Jensen, my miracle.’ I don’t know what to call you.” Jared fidgeted with his fingers and kept his eyes directed at the floor. “He referred to you as my significant other. That’s what prompted the response that you asked me about.”

“I see.” Jensen said smiling. He sat beside Jared on the couch and placed his hands over Jared’s steadily moving fingers. “I kinda like the ‘miracle’ label.”

“Pfft!” Jared grinned. He finally looked directly at Jensen. “What do you want to be called? What do you want to call me?”

“I’d be okay with partner. Or boyfriend.” Jensen answered seriously. “I mean I agree that boyfriend doesn’t quite get it. I’m getting a little old for that.” He laughed. “But it is a convenient label if we have to label it. I like partner better, and I’m okay with that one. Even if we have only been together for 48 hours, I know that we work well together and support one another. Yes, we have some logistics to work out. But we’ve already promised to choose each other over anyone else. We’ve already decided that we need to make this work. I know that I’m not going to let go or walk away.” He placed his fingers under Jared’s chin and lifted it to meet his eyes. “I love you, Jay. I’d be very happy if you wanted to call me your partner.”

“I love you, too.” Jared responded. He wrapped his arms around Jensen and leaned their foreheads together. “I can’t believe I get to say that to you.”

“Ditto!” Jensen laughed. “So what do you want to do?”

“Well, significant other is a bit of a mouthful and it sounds sterile, y’know? I guess we can go with either boyfriend or partner depending on the situation. But I think I like partner better.”

“Done!” Jensen said. “Partner!”

 

When Genevieve reemerged from her room twenty minutes later, she found the guys sprawled out on top of one another on the couch watching a movie. Jared was on his back on the bottom with his head resting on one arm of the couch. Jensen was laying on his stomach between Jared’s legs with his head in the middle of Jared’s chest and his feet dangling off the other end of the couch, his arms tucked tight into Jared’s sides. Jared’s hands were clasped around Jensen’s back. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw them. They both looked so comfortable being physically demonstrative with each other. That was something she was afraid she would never see Jared do. She heaved a sigh of relief before moving into the room.

“Hey guys! What ‘cha watchin’?” she asked as she walked in.

They barely moved. They both looked at her and smiled before Jared said, “Some movie. I actually have no idea!” He chuckled causing Jensen to bounce on his belly.

“Hey!” Jensen laughed. “Stop making me bounce!”

That only made Jared laugh harder. Before long they were both laughing hard enough that tears were running down their faces and Genevieve’s own smile stretched from ear-to-ear.

“You guys are goofballs.” Gen laughed.

“Yep,” Jensen said proudly. “And don’t you forget it.”

This caused fresh laughter from Jared that continued for quite a while. Just as they would begin to settle, one of them would start up again causing the other one to start up as well. Finally, they settled down and before Gen knew it, they were both asleep. She grinned at them and left the room. She crept back in with her camera and took a couple of pictures of them cuddled up together and then left them alone.

The rest of Saturday was spent the same way. The guys got up for food and beverages and then snuggled back together either on the couch or in Jared’s bed. At around 10:00, Jared jumped in the shower. Immediately after that, they headed to Jensen’s apartment where Jensen got his shower. They then curled up in his bed and talked and laughed and kissed and snuggled until they fell asleep again.


	4. Chapter Four

Sunday morning came and the guys were still happily snuggled together in Jensen’s bed. Jared was on his back with Jensen’s head resting on his chest. Jensen’s leg was thrown over Jared’s thigh, and Jared’s hand was on the back of Jensen’s neck. As Jensen gained consciousness, he could hear Jared’s heart beating right under his ear. He looked toward his curtained windows and smiled. It looked like it was a bright day out there. He propped his chin up on his hand on Jared’s chest and looked at the gorgeous man in his bed. He watched as Jared’s eyes fluttered open. And smiled as Jared realized where he was.

“Hey!” Jared growled in his morning voice.

“Hey!” Jensen growled back.

“What time is it?”

“I have no idea. Phone’s beside you on the table.”

“Mmm” Jared hummed. He stretched his arm out to grab it off the table and check the time. “Almost ten o’clock. Man! We sleep a lot!”

“I think it’s because we feel so comfortable around each other.” Jensen offered.

“Makes sense to me.” Jared rumbled in return. “We need to get moving though. Need to be at Steve and Franklin’s by 11:30.”

“Oh yeah!” Jensen said, rubbing his face with his hand. “I’ll go start the coffee. Are we taking anything with us?”

“There’s a bakery on Congress that has some tasty scones. I think we should swing by there and grab some on the way.”

“Oh, yeah. Martha’s. I love that place.” Jensen answered as he moved off the bed.

“I don’t get it.” Jared said, exasperated. “How did we never meet before? I go to Martha’s all the time.”

“I don’t know, man.” Jensen said stretching. “Maybe you were right about not being ready for each other before. Maybe your grandad said now’s the time.”

“Maybe.” Jared smiled at Jensen for remembering the reasons he himself had given for why they hadn’t met before that morning at the diner.

“I’m just glad I know you now.” Jensen leaned over the bed and ran a hand across Jared’s chest then patted it. “Come on! Time to move!”

“I’m coming!” Jared said, sitting up. He watched as Jensen walked out of the bedroom and felt his heart thump a little harder. He felt so at ease here in Jensen’s bed. He was going to have to figure out a time schedule soon for moving back to Texas. He needed to get hopping on the job search. There was no way he would last long here after Jensen left. He was going to be a mess.

 

After a cup of coffee each, a quick shower each, and a stop at Martha’s for a variety of scones, the guys arrived at Steve and Franklin’s house with seconds to spare. It was, however, a very good thing that they also lived out in Fairfax, or they never would have made it on time. As they parked in the driveway of a Craftsman style house, they looked at each other with wide eyes. The wide front porch with its sturdy columns looked so welcoming.

They got out of Jared’s truck and headed up the walkway to the short set of stairs leading to a dark blue door within the light gray exterior walls. There was warm light and the soft sounds of music and laughter drifting to them through the door. Jared’s full smile broke out on his face as he recognized the voice of his boss in such a relaxed state.

“Ready?” he asked as he gazed at Jensen. When Jensen smiled and nodded, Jared pressed the doorbell.

“I got it!” rang out clearly behind the door and then it opened to reveal a man of average height with medium cocoa skin. His hair was closely cut to his scalp. He had a thin face and light brown eyes that twinkled when he smiled at them in a very welcoming way. “Honey! I think the boys are here.” he called back into the house. He opened the door wider, stepped back into the hallway, and said, “Please come in. I’m Franklin.”

“Hi,” Jared started nervously as he looked down at the man in front of him. He held his hand out to Franklin and was greeted with another warm smile as Franklin took it. “I’m Jared. This is my, um, my partner, Jensen.”

Jensen’s eyes sparkled as he moved forward to shake Franklin’s hand. Having Jared introduce him that way felt right. “Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jensen stated. He lifted the paper bag he had in his other hand as he said, “We brought along some fresh scones from Martha’s.”

“Oh!” Franklin keened, delighted. “Come in, come in! I love Martha’s.” He took the bag from Jensen and began to walk toward the interior of the house. He waved a hand toward the left to indicate the living room, “Have a seat. Coatrack’s in the corner. Steve and I will be right back.”

The guys moved in the direction indicated and began to take a look around. It was the first time that either of them had been to the house of a male couple, let alone a couple that had been together as long as Steve and Franklin. The distinctly masculine, yet comfortably well-decorated home embraced them. They looked at each other and smiled happily. As they continued to look around, they began to relax a little more.

“Hey!” a voice called from the room’s doorway. They turned to see Steve standing there. Jared stood up and moved to shake his hand. “Thanks for coming, guys.” He shook Jared’s hand and then turned to Jensen. “You must be… Jensen?” Steve asked.

“Yep.” Jensen smiled reaching his own hand out to Steve to shake.

“Sorry, Jared only said the name once or twice. It’s an unusual one. I didn’t want to get it wrong.” Steve smiled warmly at Jensen.

“You got it right.” Jensen said, taking in the dark brown eyes, short-cropped black hair, olive-toned skin, and warm smile of his other host. The man was probably around six feet tall, average build. Franklin walked back in and slid under Steve’s arm. He patted Steve on the stomach and looked up at him. Jared and Jensen could see the love they had for each other as their eyes met. They looked at each other in turn and smiled.

“Well,” Steve started. “Things have just a couple more minutes in the kitchen, so if you want to sit in here until the timer dings…” He indicated the seats on the couch that Jared and Jensen had vacated and moved forward with Franklin to claim the love seat cushions.

“This is a lovely home you guys have.” Jared said, his Texas manners in full force.

“Thank you.” Franklin smiled. “We’ve been here for about three years. Before that it was apartment living. Not as comfortable, but necessary there for a while.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, laughing. “Franklin has a decorative touch, but even he could only do so much with an apartment.”

Jared and Jensen laughed amicably. Jensen reached for Jared’s hand and slid his fingers between Jared’s, linking them together. Jared turned his way and smiled, eyes twinkling. There was a scratching sound from the back door, and they both looked in that direction with curiosity.

“Oh, that’ll be Booger!” Franklin stated, getting up and moving off toward the door. “You guys okay with dogs? If not, I’ll put him in our room.”

Jared looked at Jensen and shrugged. Jensen nodded in return and said, “We’re good. I love dogs!”

“Me, too!” Jared said smiling at Jensen. One more thing they had in common.

“Good!” Franklin called back. “Here he comes.” And he opened the door to let in a beautiful Chocolate Labrador. The dog moved forward happily with his tail high in the air. “This is Booger!”

The dog quickly found Jared and Jensen and began to sniff at their feet and legs. He plopped his head on Jared’s thigh and turned his chocolatey eyes up at him. Jensen laughed outright and squeezed Jared’s hand.

“He knows a softy when he sees one.” Jensen smiled. He reached over with his free hand and began to pat Booger’s head. “Doncha, boy?”

Jared laughed and began to scratch Booger behind the ears.

“So Jensen?” Franklin began. “I know what Jared does for a living. What do you do?”

This started a pleasant “getting-to-know-you” conversation that tripped along until the timer went off in the kitchen. They learned that Franklin was a business manager for a much smaller engineering firm in Fairfax County. He was more on the Human Relations side of things than the Engineering side. They laughed at the fact that even though Steve and Franklin were both connected to the Engineering world, they met at a museum instead of at a work function. Jared and Jensen shared their story of living four blocks from one another for almost three years but not meeting until a random diner trip weeks ago.

Once the timer dinged, and they were asked to move into the dining room, they situated themselves around a large wooden table covered in food. As Franklin walked in with Steve’s oven omelet and placed it in the center of the table, Steve looked at the guys and asked, “So if you guys met here, how did you end up spending the weekend together in San Antonio? I thought you were down there for your brother’s wedding?”

“Um…” Jared’s heart rate picked up. He and Jensen hadn’t considered how to answer this question if it should come up. He looked to Jensen with panic in his eyes. Jensen calmly patted his leg and shrugged.

“I have a friend who runs an escort service.” Jensen answered plainly. “She had a last minute cancellation for a trip to San Antonio and offered me the job. I don’t usually work as an escort, but I was intrigued by the offer, so I took it.”

Steve looked a little confused, but Franklin smiled from ear-to-ear. He laughed heartily and said, “So Jared was your job?”

“For about four hours or so.” Jensen placed his hand on Jared’s shoulder and ran it down Jared’s arm. When he got to Jared’s hand where it was lying on the table, he laced his fingers through Jared’s again and said, “Then I called my friend and told her to refund the money. I told her I wanted to be there for Jared, not the money. And the rest is history.”

“Wow!” Steve huffed. He looked at Jared and said, “You continue to surprise me, young man!”

Jared blushed and kept looking at the table where his eyes had landed when Jensen had started to speak. Jensen shook his hand to try to get Jared to look up. Jared looked sideways at Jensen, and Jensen indicated that Jared should look at Steve. When he did, he saw the look of wonder on Steve’s face.

“You told me that you were working through some history. I guess that had something to do with your family?” Steve asked softly. Jared nodded but didn’t break eye contact with his boss. “I’m really not judging you, Jared. I’m amazed that you took that initiative. I don’t know what the problems are, or hopefully _were_ , but I’m impressed that you found a way to deal with it. You found a support system for yourself.” Jensen smiled and Jared blushed even harder. “And then to discover that it was the guy you randomly met at a diner only days before? That’s kismet! Jared, I’m so glad you didn’t let your fear get you!”

Franklin leaned in and kissed Steve on his cheek. “That’s my Stevie! A big, romantic sap!”

Jensen and Jared both laughed at the interaction, and Jared’s embarrassment was instantly alleviated. Jensen caught Franklin’s eye and mouthed “Thank you.” Franklin subtly lifted one shoulder as if to say “No problem.”

After that they all dove in to the array of foods laid out before them. Conversation amongst them was easy and constant. No one felt awkward or put out, and before they knew it, they were all stuffed and leaning back heavily in their chairs.

“Oh, babe!” Steve moaned, patting his stomach. “I’m going to need a long walk later to alleviate some of this pressure.”

“That was delicious!” Jared said. “I’m so full!”

“Let’s move out back,” Franklin suggested. “We have some things to discuss with you two, but I need some fresh air.”

“Uh oh!” Jensen said. He looked at Jared with a worried expression. “What did we do?”

Jared just smiled nervously. “I have no idea.”

“Let’s go, guys!” Steve said getting up. “I think it’ll be good. I hope so anyway.”

They moved slowly to the backyard where Franklin and Steve had a nice open deck area with Adirondack furniture set up stylistically around a fire pit. As the guys got situated, Franklin brought out a large thermos filled with coffee and cups on a serving tray. He set it off to the side on a rolling cart and moved to sit beside Steve. He cleared his throat and settled in his chair. As he looked up at Jared and Jensen, he smiled warmly.

“We have a proposition for you.” Franklin said, looking directly at Jared. Jared sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers together in front of his face. “This ties in with some of the things Steve has already told you, Jared. Jensen, you are here for moral support, and I’m sure this will be something you will need to discuss together. After interacting with you guys, I can see that there are very strong feelings between you. I sense that this,” he gestured between them, “is something special.”

Jensen reached over and squeezed Jared’s fingers and brought them down to his lap. Jared looked at Jensen and gave him a shy little smile. Jensen smiled back and winked.

“Okay. Shoot.” Jared said looking back over at his hosts.

“I’ve been thinking about starting my own engineering firm for some time.” Steve explained. “The upcoming buyout has spurred me on toward that goal. My concept is to have multiple contractors who would be able to work from home or from a small office space and then telecommute to the office. That would keep overhead costs low and allow me to contract the right person for each job.”

“I’ll be helping with the human resources side of things.” Franklin explained. “I’ll also help find and sign clients for Steve.”

“That sounds awesome!” Jensen said excited for the prospect.

“What does it have to do with me?” Jared asked. He looked at Jensen when Jensen patted his arm.

“I want you as brick number one.” Steve replied.

“What?” Jared was shocked by this statement.

“You have all the skills I need and the temperament I want to start off with. You are a strong junior engineer. You are intelligent, curious, and you learn very quickly. And I know that you will quickly become one of my lead engineers.” Steve said. Franklin nodded at Steve’s words.

“I agree. I have thoroughly enjoyed chatting with you today, and I think you have an open, easy-going temperament that would be an excellent selling point for new clients.” Franklin added. “After Steve told me about you, I knew I’d have to meet you.”

“This is a bit overwhelming.” Jared looked at Jensen for support. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, first things first. What were you planning to do about your current situation?” Steve asked.

“One of the things I wanted to talk with you about today is the fact that I’ve decided to turn in my notice.” Jared said. “I don’t have any new prospects yet, but I know I don’t want to stay in D.C. I’m ready to go back home.”

“This could be your chance to do that.” Jensen said. “If you wanted to work with Steve and Franklin on this, you could live and work anywhere.”

“I know, but I’m worried.” Jared countered.

“Listen, we don’t expect an answer today.” Franklin started. “I do, however, want you to take a few things into consideration. And I’m not trying to force you or manipulate you in any way. I’m really just laying out what I see as positives for you.” He paused and looked at Jared. Jared nodded. “One. You know Steve and how he works already. You know how he likes things. There will be no surprises as far as that goes. Two. You can work from anywhere. You can live in Texas and work a contract in Maryland if you want. And if you set up a home office, it becomes a tax write-off. Three. You set your own hours. As long as the work is done by the due date, you can work whenever you want.”

Jensen nodded and looked at Jared to gauge his reaction to all of this info. Jared looked a little shell-shocked, but he also seemed to be taking the information in. Jensen was feeling so many emotions about this offer. It would help Jared move to Texas even faster than Jensen had allowed himself to hope. The flip side of this was that Jared had been asked to trust in a lot of things and people recently. Jensen wasn’t sure how much more Jared would be able to take before he just imploded.

“The last thing I want you to consider,” Franklin continued, “is that we are an established gay couple who plan to live out the rest of our days together. This company is an attempt by us to not only run our own business, but also to open up the workforce to people who are part of the same demographic as we are. There is still discrimination in the workplace against homosexuals. We want to offer a safe place for all people. There will be no discrimination based on who you love.”

Steve patted Franklin’s thigh and smiled at his partner. He dropped a quick kiss on Franklin’s temple and then turned to look at Jared. Jared still looked a bit shell-shocked, but he managed a wide-eyed smile at Steve.

“How long will it take you guys to set this up?” Jensen asked.

“We’ve already set the wheels in motion. We should be ready to go live in about four to six weeks.” Franklin replied. Jensen nodded.

“And that’s all we have to say about that.” Steve said firmly. “You think about it. Discuss it with whoever you need to in order to make your decision. After tonight, ask whatever questions you need to ask. But for now, if you guys are interested, we should go for a walk with Booger and chat about inconsequential things. Who’s with me?”

Jensen was the first one to hop up. “I am!” Jared looked up at him and grinned his crooked grin.

“Okay. I’m ready when you guys are.” Jared said.

“I’ll get Booger.” Franklin said.

“I have to ask.” Jared said stifling a laugh. “Why Booger?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Steve said with a wide smile on his face. “I don’t know if you guys are familiar with the movie _Revenge of the Nerds_ , but we loved that stupid movie.” Jared and Jensen both smiled. “The guy they called Booger in the movie was so unapologetic about who he was. He was gross and crude, but he was who he was. He didn’t care what anyone else said about him. We appreciated that about him. So… Booger!”

“I like it.” Jensen laughed. “I can relate.”

Jared wrapped an arm around Jensen’s shoulders and said softly, “Yes, you can.” Jensen smiled and gave Jared a quick kiss on his chin.

“That’s nice to see.” Steve said, indicating Jared and Jensen. “Whatever happens, you two are gonna be good. I like that.”


	5. Chapter Five

“Jay?” Jensen said once they had both gotten cleaned up and ready for bed.

“Yeah?” Jared answered as he pulled the covers back on the bed.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.” Jared answered looking over at his partner. As that thought passed through his head, he grinned widely. “I’m actually very good.”

“Okay, just checking.” Jensen smiled in return. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“Nope.” Jared climbed into bed and patted the mattress. “I don’t want to talk.”

“Well, alright then.” Jensen joined him, lying on his side facing Jared. “When you’re ready, I’d like to be part of your decision-making process though. If that’s okay?”

“Of course it’s okay. You are my partner. I mean that in all ways.” Jared spoke sincerely. “I just want to _not_ think about it all right now. I want to enjoy having you here with me in my bed. We can talk about it tomorrow night when I get home from work.”

“Ugh!” Jensen moaned. “You have to go to work tomorrow!”

“I know. It sucks.” Jared laughed. “But in case you didn’t notice, it’s only like 7:30, and we’re already in bed. What shall we do here?”

Jensen grinned. “I could think of a few things.”

“Yeah, me too.” Jared reached across the space between them and lightly touched Jensen’s lips. Jensen closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. Jared whispered, “You’re so far away.”

Jensen’s eyes fluttered open, and he met Jared’s incredible ever-changing eyes. “Meet you in the middle.” He watched as Jared’s eyes darkened. And they slid across the mattress toward each other.

As they settled again, Jared draped his arm over Jensen’s waist. He gazed into Jensen’s eyes and whispered, “I love you. You are amazing, and I’m so happy right now.”

Jensen ran his fingertips over Jared’s cheekbone and then up into Jared’s hair. “You make me so incredibly happy. Everything you give me. Everything you are. I love you so much.”

Jared ran his hand along the top of Jensen’s sleep shorts along his back. He eased Jensen’s shirttail up slightly and began to stroke along Jensen’s spine. In return, Jensen ran his fingers through Jared’s hair. They maintained eye contact as the touching continued. Jensen ran his hand along Jared’s shoulder blade and then down his side. When he found the bottom of Jared’s shirt, he wiggled his hand underneath. When his fingers found Jared’s skin, Jensen trembled. Jared’s breath caught in his throat when he saw Jensen’s reaction.

“You are so warm.” Jensen whispered amazed. “Always so warm.”

Jared hummed as he carefully slid his fingers along Jensen’s ribcage and then back to Jensen’s spine. His fingers tingled with the contact against Jensen’s skin. He whispered, “Your skin is so soft. Tell me if I’m doing too much.”

“No, you’re good.” Jensen answered. “Can we take off our shirts? Would that be okay?”

“Yeah.” Jared answered and sat up in order to accommodate Jensen’s request. As he caught the bottom hem of his own shirt, Jensen reached out and stopped him.

“Let me?” Jensen asked softly. When Jared nodded, Jensen sat up and reached forward. His hands caught the bottom of Jared’s sleep shirt and slowly peeled it up and away from Jared’s body. Jensen then leaned in and ran his open lips along Jared’s chest muscles. As he passed near Jared’s left nipple, his tongue flitted out and ran across the outer edge of Jared’s aureole. Jared’s breath caught, and he shuddered at the nearness of Jensen’s mouth to such a sensitive area.

“Please, Jen.” Jared whispered. “Please. I’ve never had anyone touch me like that.”

Jensen returned to Jared’s nipple and flicked it with his tongue. Jared moaned, arching his back to get closer to Jensen’s mouth. Jensen trembled and moved to Jared’s other side. He placed kisses along Jared’s pectoral muscle and then slid close to the nipple there. When he got close, Jared’s breath hitched and he arched his back again. Jensen took that for the invitation it was meant to be and flicked his tongue across that nipple as well. Jared laid his hand behind Jensen’s neck and stroked his fingers along Jensen’s hairline.

“Jen,” he whispered. “Take your shirt off?”

“Oh!” Jensen had forgotten about that. He sat up and grabbed his own shirt. As he peeled it off, he could feel Jared’s eyes on him. He took his time and once his head was free, he immediately found Jared’s eyes. “Hey!”

“Hey!” Jared whispered, voice breaking with emotion. “Can we lay back down?”

Jensen quickly situated himself on his side facing Jared’s side of the bed. Jared moved a little slower but was soon facing Jensen from his own pillow. He reached out and ran the backs of his fingers down Jensen’s sternum and across his abs. His breathing was a bit uneven as he reached Jensen’s waistband. His eyes flicked up to meet Jensen’s.

“Jen? May I touch you?” Jared’s voice was soft. Jensen maintained eye contact as he clearly nodded his head. Jared trembled, took a big breath, and slid his fingers down a couple more inches. As the backs of his knuckles brushed the tip of Jensen’s erection, Jared leaned forward and gave Jensen a deep kiss. Jensen moaned in appreciation of both areas of stimulation. He reached forward with his free hand and grabbed Jared’s waist. He returned Jared’s kiss with passion, but managed to keep his bottom half still.

Jared turned his hand and allowed his fingers to trace Jensen’s cock through his sleep shorts as he continued running his tongue along Jensen’s tongue. Jensen’s hand drifted up to Jared’s hair and he gave a gentle tug. Jared moaned and gave Jensen the opportunity to invade his mouth. Jensen plunged in and tasted Jared’s mouth, running his tongue along every inch. Jensen’s hand was still in Jared’s hair, and he gave it one more tug before he slid his hand down Jared’s back to the top of his waistband.

“Jay,” Jensen breathed as he moved his mouth toward Jared’s ear. “Please, Jay. May I touch you, too?”

Jared’s response came as a breathy yes in Jensen’s ear. Jensen ran his fingers to the front along Jared’s waistband but stopped at the top of Jared’s shorts. He pulled his face back, so he could see Jared’s eyes. Unfortunately, Jared’s eyes were closed.

“Jay,” Jensen whispered. “Look at me. Open your eyes, please, and look at me. I want you here with me.”

Jared’s eyes popped open, and he looked right at Jensen. The little iris that was left in his eyes was a bright blue.

“May I touch you?” Jensen asked again while keeping eye contact.

“Yes, please.” Jared responded as he stroked down Jensen’s erection again. Jensen moaned, but kept his eyes firmly on Jared’s.

“Jay, keep your eyes open, please. I need you with me. I need to see what you are feeling, okay?” Jensen pleaded. “I’ll do the same thing.”

“Okay, Jen. I’ll try.”

Jensen nodded again and very carefully ran his fingers further down until he felt Jared’s cock through his shorts. Jared’s breath hitched and his eyes closed. Jensen stopped moving until Jared’s eyes popped back open. Once they were looking at each other again, Jensen began to slowly move his hand along Jared’s sizeable erection. He watched Jared’s face for any sign of panic but couldn’t see any stress at all. Jensen began to relax and enjoy the closeness. As they slowly stroked each other through their clothing, Jared’s breathing picked up speed, but he continued to show no signs of stress.

“Jay? You okay?” Jensen breathed.

“Yeah,” Jared huffed in return. “Feels so good, Jen. You feel so good.”

Jared’s mind was reeling. His brain couldn’t possibly keep up with all of the stimulus it was being fed right now. Jensen, this beautiful man, was completely and utterly focused on him. Those apple-green eyes were fixed on his own, and love was pouring out of them. Never in Jared’s wildest imagination could he have come up with a scenario like this one. Not only was Jensen in his life, in his bed, but he was also in love with Jared. And they were currently making each other feel so good. Jared had never experienced anything even remotely this wonderful. His brain was very close to completely short-circuiting!

Jared ran his thumb along the vein on the underside of Jensen’s cock and watched as Jensen’s eyes fluttered and rolled. He found the little nest of nerves just under the head and rubbed. Jensen’s breathing hitched and a soft grunt sounded. Jared was thrilled at being able to pull those sounds out of Jensen. And then he felt his own eyes rolling as Jensen found a particularly sensitive spot on Jared.

“Jen! Jensen!” Jared moaned. “I… I’m…”

“It’s okay, Jay!” Jensen answered. “Just feel it. Feel everything. Just let go, Jay. I love you. I want to make you feel good. I love you, Jay.”

And that was it. Jared felt warmth roll through him and ping off every nerve. He was gone. His throat felt raw and only then did he realize the sounds he was making, but he didn’t care. He was allowing himself to feel. And everything he felt at that moment revolved around Jensen and his amazing hands and mouth and skin and eyes and heart and soul. Everything that made Jensen who he was. The ugly history he had overcome. The love he felt for his own family. The need Jensen had to help others. The kindness that flowed out of him like sunshine and summer warmth. Jared was overcome.

As he fell back into his own body, Jared realized that he still had his hand around Jensen’s still firm erection. He moved his head to be able to run his lips along Jensen’s jawline. He was nothing but raw nerves and feelings in that moment, but he wanted to make Jensen feel just as good as he was feeling right then.

“Jensen?” he whispered.

“Yeah?” came Jensen’s breathless voice.

“Can you lay on your back, please?”

“Um…”

“I want to help you feel what I’m feeling.” Jared whispered. “I want to really touch you.”

“Okay.” Jensen whispered. Jensen rolled onto his back and gazed up at Jared as he lifted himself up on one elbow.

Jared leaned over and began to run his tongue along Jensen’s jawline. He dragged his mouth along Jensen’s Adam’s apple and nibbled along Jensen’s collarbone. His right hand stroked along Jensen’s ribcage, and he ran his thumb over Jensen’s nipple when he got there. He laid his leg over Jensen’s, placing it along Jensen’s. While leaning in to give Jensen a deep, passionate kiss, Jared ran his hand down Jensen’s thigh and back up again. Jared started at the base of Jensen’s cock and ran his hand firmly up his length.

“Jensen,” Jared breathed into his ear. “Tell me if it feels good, please.”

“Yeah, Jay” Jensen hummed. “It feels good.”

Jared continued to work Jensen through his shorts, changing rhythm and adjusting his grip until he found the right pressure for Jensen. He dragged his thumb across the head of Jensen’s cock occasionally to increase the pleasure Jensen was feeling. He paid attention to Jensen’s responses to figure out what was working, and Jensen kept his eyes on Jared the entire time. Jared dipped in to kiss and lick Jensen’s neck. As he ran his tongue up to Jensen’s ear, he could tell that Jensen was close. He nibbled Jensen’s earlobe and whispered, “You are the one I’ve been waiting for, Jen. I accept you and love you for who you are. For everything you are. I love you with my whole heart. I love _you_ , Jensen Ross Ackles.”

He pulled away just enough to be able to watch Jensen’s face as he immediately fell apart under Jared’s hand. He watched as Jensen’s mouth fell open and a flush rushed across his neck and down his chest. He watched as Jensen’s eyes squeezed shut and his eyelashes fluttered delicately across his cheeks. He watched as Jensen’s body tensed and released causing his entire body to become heavy with exhaustion. He felt tears well up in his own eyes as he realized that Jensen had been responding to Jared’s words even more than to Jared’s actions. He dropped his face into Jensen’s neck and was overcome with emotion. He tried desperately to hold it together.

“Jay?” Jensen whispered. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Jared answered in a strained voice. “I’m good.”

Jensen patted his back with a limp hand and said, “I need to see your face, babe. Let me see you?”

“Okay,” Jared whispered. “Just a second.”

Jared cleared his throat and lifted his head to look at Jensen. He needed to be honest with Jensen in this moment just like every other one that had come before. So without making a move to wipe his face or change his expression, he looked into Jensen’s eyes. Everything he felt was on his face and in his eyes, and Jensen took it all in.

“Oh Jay!” Jensen smiled. “Are you okay?”

“Better than okay.” Jared answered. “But I am overwhelmed.”

Jensen leaned up and kissed Jared’s cheeks right on top of the tear tracks there. He pulled Jared’s head down to his chest and wrapped both arms around him as he settled back down into his pillow.

“We’re going to need to clean up soon. But I just want to hold you for a few minutes.” Jensen spoke softly.

Jared wrapped his arm around Jensen and snuggled against his chest. He placed little kisses on the skin that was readily available to him and stroked his hand against Jensen’s side.

“I know I keep saying this, but…” Jared paused and placed another quick kiss on Jensen’s chest. “I’m so happy. You make me feel loved and cared for. You make me happy, Jen.”

Jensen cleared his throat and took a minute before he said, “I’ve never had anyone say the things that you did during, well, before. I can’t tell you what that means to me.” When Jared lifted his face to look at Jensen, Jensen closed his eyes overcome by his own emotions.

“Jen?” Jared was suddenly worried. “Jen, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“I’m going to tell you what you always tell me. Open your eyes, Jen. Let me in.” Jared whispered.

Jensen ran a hand over his face and then propped his head up on his arm so he could see Jared better. He looked into his boyfriend’s face and tried to put his feelings into words. “I…” Jensen cleared his throat again. “I have never had anyone fully accept me the way you have. Well, except my mother and Dani.” Jensen looked away.

Jared tapped Jensen on the chin. Jensen smiled and then turned back toward Jared again.

“All my life, I’ve been expected to be a certain way. To live within other people’s parameters. To be what other people want me to be. I’m good at it. But I don’t necessarily like it. With you, I have never had to live up to anything. I can just be myself with you. You don’t put any expectations on me. And I love being what you need. I do what I do because I want to. Not because you expect me to. And you love me for me. Not because of how I look or what I can do for you. You care about _me_.” Jensen ran a hand through Jared’s hair, fluffed it and then tapped Jared’s nose. “I swore I’d never apologize for who I am. And I don’t anymore. But I’ve been only half of me for a long time. I haven’t let the walls down in such a long time. But with you I can just be me and it’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay, Jensen.” Jared took Jensen’s free hand in his own and ran his nose along Jensen’s wrist. “I want to be with you, the real you. I want us to continue to be honest and open with one another. This,” Jared sat up and motioned between them, “is unbelievable to me.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Thank you for loving me, Jen.” Jared leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Jensen’s bottom lip. As he moved away, Jensen reached up and caught Jared’s shoulder bringing him back down for another sweet kiss.

“Thank _you_ for opening yourself up to me and loving me back.” They both smiled at each other and Jared moved away. Jensen sat up and grimaced when he felt the mess in his shorts.

“We need to get cleaned up don’t we?” Jared asked when he saw Jensen’s face.

“Yeah.” Jensen laughed. “You got another pair of shorts I can borrow?”

“Of course.”


	6. Chapter Six

Jared was lost in a dream. He felt free and peaceful. As he looked around himself, he saw green grass, elm and oak trees, and a gorgeous Texas sky that went on forever. In the distance he saw a quaint little farmhouse with a beautiful wrap-around porch and decided that was where he needed to go. He felt himself being drawn in that direction. As he moved toward it, he noticed a split rail fence surrounding what would be the heart of the property. He found the entrance and moved toward the house, noticing the white Crepe Myrtles, vibrant purple Tulip Magnolia trees, and the flowering rose bushes placed beautifully throughout the front yard. As he got closer, he saw someone standing on the porch, so he moved in that direction. He suddenly realized that it was someone he knew very well.

“Grandad?” he called.

The figure stood staring off into the distance without reacting to Jared’s voice at all. He began to doubt his memory, but continued to move forward. As he got nearer, the figure moved off along the porch to the back of the property. Jared began to follow the figure and watched as he moved through the back door and into the house.

Jared followed and opened the door to walk in. He found himself in the kitchen. His grandad always said that the kitchen was the heart of the home, and this kitchen was certainly that. He grinned and looked around realizing that this kitchen was exactly what he had always wanted. Large windows let in tons of natural light. The center island was huge and contained the cooktop with a rack above that held the pots and pans. The rack itself was made of wrought iron and was decorated by stars worked into the design. The ceiling stretched high above and everything glistened. He felt instantly at ease and knew that this was where he belonged.

He turned to look further into the home to see if his grandad was in there. The house was an open floorplan in this area, and he could see directly into the living space. What he saw drew him forward. There was an old fashioned wooden rocking chair with a handstitched seat cushion. He moved in that direction and ran a hand along the graceful curve of the chair back. Between the living space and the dining space was a freestanding fireplace with a simple but beautiful border, raised hearth, and mantle made from native stone. He drifted in that direction and ran a hand along the rough-hewn stone of the mantle.

“Hey, Jay!” a familiar voice said behind him. Jared had to swallow before turning in order to keep his emotions under control. He turned slowly and saw his grandad standing beside the rocker.

“Grandad?” Jared gasped, tears beginning to flow down his face.

“You grew up, young man.”

“Yes, sir.” Jared responded reaching up to wipe the tears from his face.

“I can’t stay long, son. I just wanted to let you know that I’m so proud of you.”

“Huh?” Jared was confused. “Why?”

“Why am I proud of you? Or why is it that I can’t stay?”

Jared laughed through his tears. “Both, maybe?”

His grandad smiled at him and moved around to sit in the rocking chair. Jared lowered himself to sit on the hearth and looked up at the much-loved face of his grandfather.

“First, let me tell you that you grew up to be a fantastic representative for our family.” Grandad smiled at him, and Jared looked down in embarrassment. “You have. You are amazing. You have a beautiful, loving heart and one of the purest souls I have ever seen. That’s part of why I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

“You have also managed to overcome so much hurt and pain without losing who you are. You tucked it away for a while, but you never lost it. Things could have turned out so differently for you, Jay.” Grandad paused, reached out a finger, and tapped Jared on his nose. Jared gasped as he realized that Jensen had done that to him earlier that night. “But you found your way back to that inner strength. I think you have also found that self-sufficiency and that passion you always had as a youngster. Grab ahold of that, Jay! Don’t let it go again!”

“Yes, sir!” Jared smiled.

“I like your young man, too!”

“Grandad!”

“It’s true, Jay.” Grandad laughed. “He’s a beautiful boy! Inside and out! Just like you!” His grandfather placed a soothing hand on Jared’s shoulder. “He’ll always be there for you when you need him. Continue to trust him and love him, Jay. He’s deeply in love with you. Trust him and trust yourself.”

“Yes, sir. I will.” Jared nodded solemnly. “I feel like I’ve found my way back to myself. And he feels like home to me. I can’t imagine my life moving forward without him in it.”

Grandad nodded and smiled to himself. “Good.”

“Where are we?” Jared asked taking in a bit more of his surroundings.

“This is a place you must discover for yourself, Jay. It’s important. Look for it. That’s all I can tell you.” Grandad said. “Now, I need to mosey. It’s getting on towards that time.”

“Will you visit me again?” Jared asked softly.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to. But I do know one thing for sure. I love you, son. Always have. You are my special boy and you always will be. Hold that in your heart for me.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I will.”

“Jay!” Jared heard Jensen’s voice calling him from somewhere further in the house. He looked worriedly at his grandfather.

“Go to him, Jay.” Grandad said with a twinkle in his hazel eyes. “Be with him now.”

“Yes, sir!” Jared said, standing and moving in Jensen’s direction, feeling drawn toward the man he loved with everything he was. “I will.”

When he turned back in his grandad’s direction, the old man was gone. The chair rocked back and forth, and Jared could hear his grandad’s voice echoing. “Go to him. Be with him, Jay.”

Jared headed toward the area he thought he had heard Jensen calling from and found himself standing in front of a light colored wooden door. He reached for the handle and opened the door slowly. As he pushed his head into the room behind it, he saw a massive bed made from hand-carved wood. Lying in the middle of the bed, facing away from Jared, was Jensen’s naked form. His bottom half was covered with a sky blue sheet, but Jared just knew that Jensen was uncovered below it. As Jared moved into the room, Jensen turned his brilliant apple-green eyes toward Jared and smiled his beautiful smile.

“There you are!” Jensen called and patted the mattress behind him. “I was wondering where you got off to. Get in here and keep me warm.”

Jared laughed and crawled across the mattress toward his love. As he got close, he realized that he was naked as well. He lifted the covers and slid in behind Jensen, placing sweet kisses along Jensen’s shoulder toward his neck as he moved. Jensen moaned with the sensation of having Jared’s lips on his bare skin. Jared smiled into Jensen’s neck and draped his arm across Jensen’s waist. As Jared settled into his pillow, Jensen snuggled back against him, wiggling his hips against Jared’s naked pelvis. Jared groaned with pleasure and tightened his grip.

“Did you let the dogs back in?” Jensen whispered.

“Yeah, I did.” Jared answered and then licked at that place just behind Jensen’s ear. As soon as the words left his mouth, he wondered what dogs they were talking about. Jensen pressed backwards even more, and Jared ran his hand along Jensen’s abdomen.

Then his alarm clock rang, and Jared’s eyes popped open.

He discovered that he did, in fact, have his arm draped over Jensen’s waist, but they were both wearing comfortable sleeping shorts. They were in Jared’s bed in the apartment he was still sharing with Genevieve instead of that enormous wooden one from his dream, but what a dream! Jared smiled and reached to turn the alarm off. He placed sweet kisses along Jensen’s shoulder running toward his neck as he settled back into his pillow. Jensen hummed and twisted his head to look in Jared’s direction.

“Morning!” Jensen whispered in his husky, sleep-heavy voice. Jared felt a warm zing through his system with the sound.

“Morning,” he responded. He gave Jensen’s mouth a quick peck. “I just had an amazing dream!”

“Oh yeah?” Jensen said, turning a bit more to be able to see Jared clearly and pressing his lips against Jared’s again. Jared hummed his approval.

“Yeah, my grandad was talking with me. He told me he was proud of me.” Jared’s voice was soft in wonder.

Jensen turned completely within Jared’s hold and faced him. He looked into Jared’s eyes and smiled at him. “That’s really cool, Jay.”

“It was pretty cool. He knew about you. Somehow. And he told me that he liked you.” Jared leaned in and kissed Jensen’s nose. Jensen traced Jared’s lips with his fingers and then gave him another kiss on his lips. Jared hummed and said, “Then it shifted.”

“What happened?” Jensen showed his interest by pulling back just a bit to get a better view of Jared’s face.

“He told me to go to you, and I heard you calling me from the back of the house we were in. When I got back there, you were in this amazing bed. I climbed in with you, and you asked me if I had let the dogs back in. I answered that I had, and then I tried to figure out what dogs you were talking about.” Jared chuckled. “You were so adorable laying there all curled up in that enormous bed. You told me to get in so that I could keep you warm.”

“Well, you do produce quite a bit of heat, y’know?” Jensen chuckled in response.

Jared’s face grew serious for a moment, and he looked into Jensen’s eyes. “Jen, he told me to trust myself.” Jensen stroked his hand through Jared’s hair and nodded. “He also told me to trust you.”

“Smart man!” Jensen smiled and tapped Jared’s nose with one long finger. Jared’s eyes widened, and he huffed out a laugh. Jensen looked confused. “What?”

“Nothing.” Jared leaned toward Jensen and pressed their foreheads together. “I just… I love you.”

“I love you.” Jensen huffed out a breath. “You always beat me to it!”

“What?” Jared looked confused.

“You always say it first.” Jensen huffed. “I need to be quicker.”

Jared placed several quick kisses across Jensen’s face, and then smiled at him and said, “It isn’t a competition, love.”

“I know. I guess I just need to stop thinking about it and just say it.”

“You say it when it’s natural for you. And I’m not _always_ first.” Jared smiled and placed a quick kiss on Jensen’s nose. “I know that you love me. I know that you mean it.”

“Okay.” Jensen said softly. “I do mean it. I really do love you.”

Jared kissed Jensen’s lips again and let loose one of his big dimpled smiles. “I know.” He patted his partner on the hip and said, “I have to get moving. Gotta go to work today.”

“Bleh!” Jensen answered.

Jared laughed as he pulled away and climbed out of bed. He moved off toward the bathroom to grab a shower before he headed in. He thought about the reason why a shower was a good idea and blushed spectacularly. He couldn’t suppress the smile that stretched across his face. He looked back at Jensen before he went through the door and saw Jensen watching him. He laughed softly and wiggled his butt before slipping through. He could hear Jensen’s deep laughter following him, and his smile got bigger.

 

While Jared was at work, Jensen worked diligently on sorting, packing and cleaning his apartment. His current goal was to finish as quickly as possible in order to spend as much of his remaining time as he could in Jared’s presence. He was trying not to focus on the Saturday deadline, but it was difficult.

Jared, meanwhile, was trying to focus on his job. He was continuing to sort and clear out the detritus that had collected in his space over the three years he had worked here. He was trying not to be obvious about his decision to leave. He was also working to finish up the contracts he was assigned to. He was beginning to get an idea of how long he would need to stay in order to leave his work in a reasonable place. He certainly didn’t want to leave his current job in a bad spot.

The previous evening, Jensen had explained his plan to Jared for hitting some of his favorite restaurants before leaving, so Jared suggested that he pick one from the list for dinner that night. Jensen was still trying to figure out which one later that day when Jared knocked on his door. As Jensen walked over toward the door, he ran through his top picks and tried to figure out what kind of food he wanted. He reached for the door handle and smiled.

He opened the door to see Jared leaning casually against the door frame, his shirt collar open and tie loose, jacket held over his shoulder on one finger, looking all relaxed and sexy. Jensen reached out with his right hand and fisted it in Jared’s shirt. He pulled Jared into his apartment and firmly planted his lips on Jared’s, pushing the door closed behind him. He quickly ran his tongue along the seam between Jared’s lips, and Jared opened immediately to welcome Jensen’s tongue. Jensen hummed his approval as he plunged in to explore the mouth he hadn’t enjoyed in a few hours. Jared’s hands immediately found Jensen’s belt loops and tugged Jensen toward himself. Jared gasped and chased after Jensen’s mouth as Jensen started to pull away. Jared wrapped his hand around the back of Jensen’s neck and held him in place as he leaned in to plunder Jensen’s mouth in his own turn. He tangled his tongue with Jensen’s and hummed his pleasure before letting go.

“I missed you today.” Jensen whispered. His arms were firmly around Jared’s shoulders and he was still on his tip toes, his body perfectly aligned with Jared’s.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Jared joked as he pulled Jensen back in for another kiss. He ran his hand along the small of Jensen’s back and pulled Jensen even tighter against himself. “I missed you, too.”

“How was your day?”

“Eh.” Jared shrugged. “Could have been better.”

“Tell me about it.” Jensen grumbled.

They continued to chat and greet each other for the next ten minutes until Jared’s stomach growled. They both began to laugh, and Jensen tucked his face into Jared’s neck.

“I guess we should find some food, huh?” Jensen asked.

“Might be a good idea.” Jared chuckled. “Did you bring my bag over this morning?”

“Yep, it’s in the bedroom.” Jensen grabbed him by the hand and began to walk that way.

“Wait! I thought we were going to get some food.”

“Oh yeah!” Jensen laughed. “Thai or Indian?”

“I’ve never had either one.” Jared answered. “Which should I try first?”

They discussed their options and decided on Indian. Jared pulled his tie off as Jensen quickly pulled his boots on, and they were off. Over dinner they discussed the rest of the week and what they wanted to do. Jensen explained that he wanted to have everything finished and ready to load into the truck by Thursday, leaving that night and all of Friday open. He still planned to hit the road on Saturday as soon as everything was on the truck. Jared tried to keep a smile on his face while they discussed these plans, but he was struggling. Jensen saw it and tried to cheer him up. He knew exactly what Jared was feeling though. It was going to be a difficult couple of weeks, months, whatever until they were back together again. Jensen just wanted them to focus on the moment and not get bogged down with the sadness.

“Hey! Did Gen and Scott decide what they were gonna do on Friday? Are we gonna have dinner with them?” Jensen asked to refocus Jared.

“I don’t know. They haven’t said anything to me yet.” Jared looked away.

“What’s up?” Jensen asked, picking up on Jared’s discomfort.

“I might want to keep you to myself that night.” Jared said softly.

“Oh.” Jensen responded. “That’s certainly an option. I think I will probably have broken down my bed at that point, so I’ll need a place to sleep. Will that be an issue?”

“I don’t think so.” Jared grinned.

They finished up their food and made their way back to Jensen’s for the evening. Since Jared had packed work clothes as well as sleep clothes, he could head straight to work from Jensen’s in the morning. They snuggled up on the couch and watched some baseball until they were tired enough to head to bed. As they cuddled up, Jensen laid out flat on his back with Jared tucked into his side, they chatted about what Jensen had left to do to get everything ready to go. They were both yawning and having a hard time keeping their eyes open when Jared said, “Tomorrow night I wanna talk about my situation.”

“Absolutely!” Jensen answered. “I like that idea.” He kissed Jared on his head and whispered, “Sleep now.” And within minutes, they were both asleep.

 

The next day was more of the same. Jensen made great progress on packing and sorting and had another load ready to donate before he was ready to stop for the day. By his estimation, he would finish packing ahead of schedule. He was really following Dani’s advice and getting rid of anything and everything that he didn’t feel like he would need once he got to Texas. He was opening that space in his life that Jared could slide right into.

Jared, on the other hand, had completed two of the four contracted jobs he was assigned to before leaving work for the day. He also managed to get through an embarrassing conversation with Genevieve about his and Jensen’s activities on Sunday evening. He was going to have to say something to Jensen about it. Before he left work for the day, he popped his head into Steve’s office and asked him to please work a meeting into his schedule for the next day. Steve said he’d be delighted to and waved Jared away.

Jared headed straight home after work and climbed into his shower. Thoughts continued to run through his mind about the job offer from Steve and Franklin. As he was rinsing off, images from his dream sprung back into his mind. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the house that had appeared in his dream. It was a perfect home. It was warm and inviting and looked like something he would have designed for himself. He remembered his grandfather telling him to trust himself and to trust Jensen, so he let the worries go while he continued getting dressed.

By the time Jensen knocked on the door with take-out from his favorite Thai restaurant, Jared had gotten plates and utensils set up on the table in the kitchen, and was ready-to-go. He greeted Jensen at the door with a quick kiss as he grabbed a bag from Jensen’s hands. He laced his fingers through Jensen’s on his now free hand and walked him to the kitchen.

“What do we have?” Jared asked.

“I’ve gotten some of my favorite dishes, so you can try a variety of things.” Jensen said as he started to unpack the boxes. “There’s plenty here for Gen as well if she’s here.”

“I think she’ll be at Scott’s tonight. She’s trying to give us space.” Jared shrugged awkwardly. “I think we were a little noisy night before last. She doesn’t want to ‘cramp our style’ apparently.”

“Oops!” Jensen said.

“Um…” Jared blushed. “She said it was really hot, but she didn’t need to listen to it on a work night again.”

“Oh my God!” Jensen blushed as well. “I’m sorry!”

“No! Don’t apologize!” Jared waved a hand. “I think it was mostly me anyway. That was really my first time. You know?”

“Yeah.” Jensen said reaching to push Jared’s hair away from his face. “I know. I’m sorry if that was embarrassing for you.”

“Um, yeah, but I wouldn’t change a thing, Jen.” Jared said, looking directly into Jensen’s eyes. “That was amazing, and I’ve never… I never thought anyone would think of me first.”

“Jared!” Jensen hugged him and pulled him close. “You deserve that and so much more. I want to give you everything.”

Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen and tucked his face into Jensen’s neck. “I want you to have everything too.”

“So we take care of each other.” Jensen said matter-of-factly. “Starting with figuring out how you get down to Texas, so we can get on with our life together.”

“Yeah,” Jared said pulling back and smiling at Jensen. “You said it!”

They sat down and started eating. Jared thoroughly enjoyed his introduction to Thai food and ate a lot more of it than he expected he would. He particularly enjoyed the lettuce wraps and the Spring Rolls. He sat back and rubbed his tummy for a minute before clearing the table. Once again, Jensen helped out with the dishes and then they made their way to the living room. As they made themselves comfortable on the couch, Jensen had a thought and made a face.

“What?” Jared asked.

“Is this your couch?” Jensen asked.

“No, it’s Gen’s. Why? You don’t like it?” Jared was curious what the issue was.

“No, it’s fine. I just was wondering if this was the one from your apartment in Austin. You know… _that_ couch.” Jensen explained.

Jared threw his head back and let out an enormous laugh. It took him a little while to get himself back together again before saying, “No, no way. I left that one right where it was. Never sat on it again.”

Jensen laughed along for a bit feeling extremely relieved. “Don’t know why that just hit me, but it did.”

They settled down and Jared took a deep breath. He turned toward Jensen on the couch, reached across to take Jensen’s hand and said, “I think I want to take the chance on Steve and Franklin. I think I want the kind of freedom they could offer me, and I’d like to work for people who know about who I am and who I love.”

Jensen huffed a huge sigh and smiled. “I think that is a fantastic idea! My only concern is how viable they could be to start off with.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about that. I don’t know what kind of contracts they would get right off the bat or how many people they were looking to hire. I don’t know if they intended me to be full-time or part-time. Benefits? All that kind of stuff.”

“True.” Jensen laughed. “This is so funky!”

“What?” Jared tilted his head.

“All of this!” Jensen flapped a hand in front of him. “Here we are. We’ve been through so much together already. Now, we’re both ready to just pull up ties and head west.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I mean. I don’t have a job or a place to live. I’m getting ready to pack everything I own into a U-Haul and drive it halfway across the country with a _hope_ that everything will fall into place once I get there. And you!” Jensen let out a little laugh. “You just made the decision to do the same thing with no knowledge of what’s waiting for you. It’s crazy!”

“That’s not true.” Jared denied. “I know what’ll be waiting for me.” When Jensen looked confused, Jared said. “I’ll have you there. Remember? In my dream a few nights ago you told me to jump and you would be there to catch me?” Jensen nodded. “I’m ready to do that. I’m ready to jump, Jen.”

Jensen smiled and hugged Jared close to him. “It’ll work out, Jay. It has to. Like you said, this was meant to be.”

They spent the next half hour brainstorming the kinds of questions Jared would need answers to from Steve and Franklin. Jared quickly wrote them down and tucked his list into his attaché case for his meeting the next day. They then spent the next hour and a half considering timetables and plans to get Jared moved out to Texas.

“You know none of this is going to work out the way we’ve planned it, right?” Jensen laughed.

“I know.” Jared grinned. “But I’m good with hope and wishful thinking. I’m a more positive person for having met you, y’know.”

Jensen grinned and kissed Jared’s nose. “I like the sound of that.”

After having talked this through, Jared felt a little better about Saturday’s deadline with Jensen. He knew that they both wanted to be in the same part of Texas as quickly as possible, and that they were both committed to making it reality. There were no definitive plans on living arrangements, but Jared expected to start off with his own space until they felt more comfortable with living together. He was also a little nervous about his mother’s reaction to him moving to be closer to Jensen. Only time would tell how that would be received.

Jared was a bit nervous about the next day as he got situated. Jensen could tell that something was bothering him. He made sure Jared would be okay with it, and then snuggled Jared up against him as the little spoon. As Jensen tucked his nose into Jared’s freshly washed hair, he whispered, “Just relax, Jay! I’ve got you. I’ll be here to catch you.”

Jared smiled and eventually drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter Seven

When Jared checked his email at work the next morning, he saw that Steve had a meeting request set for 10:30. Jared quickly accepted it, set an alarm, and settled in to try to get some work done. When his alarm went off at 10:15, Jared calmly grabbed his list of questions, a notepad and his cell phone, and headed in the direction of Steve’s office. Once Steve was alerted to his presence, he popped out and welcomed Jared into his office.

“Marcy?” Steve called to his secretary. “Hold all of my calls until after Mr. Padalecki leaves, please.”

Marcy raised her eyebrows in response but didn’t say anything. After she nodded, Steve shut the door and smiled at Jared.

“So Jared? What’s going on?”

“Well, Steve. I have a few questions for you and then I have an official statement to give you.” Jared smiled.

“Well, let’s get comfortable.” Steve motioned to the seating area to the left of his desk. Jared moved that way and had a seat on the couch. He pulled out his phone and his notes and cleared his throat. Steve smiled again and said, “Just as I suspected, you came prepared.”

“Yes, sir.” Jared laughed. “I’d like to say, first of all, that I’m very excited about the offer I received from you and Franklin on Sunday. Is that something that we can talk about here?”

“Of course. With Marcy holding all of my calls, no one should bother us. Please feel free to speak openly.” Steve replied.

“Okay.” Jared took a breath and said, “I just had a few questions about what would be offered by you in terms of hours, benefits, salary, expectations and the like. As you know, I plan to move back to Texas. I hope to live in the Dallas area to be closer to Jensen. He leaves on Saturday to head there himself.” Jared huffed out a breath as the truth of that settled on him. He shook his head. “Sorry, that’s going to be difficult.”

“Understood.” Steve nodded.

“My goal is to get there as quickly as possible, within the next three to four weeks. I need to know if what you are offering will make that feasible or if I should look for something else until you guys are better established.”

“Makes sense.” Steve said. “Let me answer what I can, and then if you have anything else, we can get Franklin on the phone. He is the business genius after all.” Steve settled in. “By the way, we were both blown away by your Jensen and the way you two interact. I was thrilled to see the way you take care of each other. It makes me happy to see that.”

Jared started grinning when Steve referred to Jensen as “his Jensen” and didn’t quit. “Thank you, sir. We really enjoyed our time with you guys as well. It’s nice to see a couple who has been together for several years and still appreciates each other as much as you two do. It did us a lot of good.”

Steve smiled in return. And they started talking. They ended up calling Franklin briefly for just a few clarifications, but Jared was very well pleased with all of the answers he was given and made the decision to sign on with them as soon as they were officially a company. In the meantime, their verbal agreement was satisfactory for both parties. Jared was going to be an employee of New Horizons Engineering. He expected to have a salary comparable to his current one with the chance of moving upwards quickly, a promise of at least 30 hours to start, group health insurance with more benefits to follow, and a chance to become a partial owner within two years. Steve reiterated his expectation that Jared would quickly become a senior engineer, and the two shook hands.

Jared then officially turned in his two week notice effective at the end of business on Friday. He had double checked his leave balance before the meeting and discovered that he had three and a half weeks left to be compensated for. That gave him five and a half weeks of pay to look forward to before he would be without. By that point, New Horizons would either officially be a company or it would be close enough not to cause a panic, and he would have a new employer. Jared was thrilled! He sent a text to Jensen before leaving Steve’s office and got an immediate and enthusiastic reply. Now the timeline they had established in hope was very quickly becoming reality. Jared met Steve’s eyes and blinked away tears.

“One day, I want to tell you my story.” Jared reached a hand up to clear away the moisture in his eyes. “You have helped me in more ways than you could possibly understand.” Jared took a deep breath and in a broken voice said, “Thank you, Steve.”

Steve moved forward quickly to where Jared was standing and wrapped his arms around the emotional young man. He patted Jared on the shoulder and then moved away. He kept his hands on Jared’s shoulders and tried to look into the younger man’s eyes.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m very glad that I could help you.” Steve squeezed Jared’s biceps before letting go. “You have impressed me in so many ways. I really hope that everything works out for you from here on out.”

“Thanks!”

“And I’m ready whenever you are to hear your story.” Steve smiled. “You intrigue me. You are a strong person, Jared. I’m so glad that I’ll continue to be able to work with you.”

Jared nodded, wiped his eyes again and made his way toward the door. “Oh! And by the way. I’m going to be sick on Friday.”

Steve laughed. “Got it!”

 

Jensen was out for an early lunch with Daneel when he got the text from Jared.

“Oh, thank God!”

“What?” Daneel asked.

“Jared took the job with his boss.” Jensen sighed.

“Huh?” Daneel asked looking even more confused.

“Sorry,” Jensen laughed. “Let me start from the beginning.” He quickly explained the situation that Jared had been facing, also explaining that the two of them wanted to be together as quickly as possible. He even took a minute to detail how quickly everything seemed to be falling into place. Daneel squealed in delight.

“Remember when I told you how beautiful it was that you were letting him in. How it was the _grand_ _gesture_ and that everything was going to work out?” Daneel winked obnoxiously at Jensen. “Well, I told you so!”

“Yeah,” Jensen laughed. “You did. But now we need to figure out when you can get to know him better. Since you are my best friend and all, you need to know the man I’m in love with.”

“Jens, that would be really great, but we don’t have a whole lot of time left. How are we going to arrange this?” Daneel pouted.

“Well, his roommate said something about trying to get together on Friday night for dinner. I don’t know how Jared feels about it right now, but if I can work something out, would you be willing to have a big dinner party with Genevieve, her fiancé, me and Jared?” Jensen asked.

“I’d love to.” Dani said looking sad.

“Dani? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just… I’ll be the only one without a special someone.”

“You could always hire an escort.” Jensen said trying to inject a little humor.

“Oh! Ha ha! Very funny!” She swatted at him. “I got so excited for you and Jared that I forgot about me.”

“Dani, I’ve been telling you for a while now that you need to give yourself a break.” Jensen took her hand gently in his own. “You work too hard! You need some time off to meet someone for yourself.”

“I know. Maybe I’ll move back to Texas with you. There has to be some tall, beautiful Texan for me, too. I just need to go look for him.” She shook her head and looked away.

“You’ll find him, Dani. I promise!”

 

Jensen ended up at Jared’s apartment again on Wednesday night. Jared quickly ran through the details of the conversation with Steve, letting Jensen know the answers to all of his questions. Jensen ran through his conversation with Daneel and broached the subject of a dinner party with their friends on Friday.

“I think that sounds like a great idea!” Jared answered. Jensen tilted his head with a touch of confusion on his face.

“I thought you said you wanted to keep me for yourself. Now you want to have a big group dinner. I’m confused. And a little offended. I thought I was gonna have to work harder to convince you.” Jensen smiled.

“Well, will you be done with packing and cleaning tomorrow like you planned?” Jared waited for Jensen’s nod and then said, “Good. I’m calling in sick on Friday. I’m yours all day. By the time dinner rolls around, we’re probably going to need someone else to talk to.”

“No way.” Jensen laughed. “I’ll probably still want you all to myself.”

Jared smacked Jensen on the thigh and laughed. They made plans and sent texts until they had everything nailed down. Friday night would be a group dinner at one of the local restaurants. Scott asked if he could bring along his friend Tyson. He had recently moved to town, and Gen and Scott had already made plans to spend time with him that night. The guys thought that might be nice for Scott, so he didn’t feel left out when they, inevitably, fell into conversation with their best friends. Jared called and made reservations for 6 on Friday and then they had the evening to themselves.

 

By noon on Thursday, Jensen had everything packed and ready to load. He had a few more locations to hit with heavy cleaning, and then his life in D.C. would almost be wrapped up. He stretched out in the middle of his living room floor and looked up at the ceiling. In this room, Jensen had spent the majority of his time alone and lonely. He couldn’t honestly say he would miss it. He thought back to his life before meeting Jared in that diner and shook his head sadly. It wasn’t even a half-life that he had allowed himself.

His robot-like movement through a world dominated by work just seemed so incredibly empty. Yes, he thoroughly enjoyed working with the patients he had helped. He loved meeting people and hearing their stories. He remembered the really tough cases that required more enthusiasm and encouragement than others and felt fulfilled within the workplace. But none of those people had made a dent in his home life. His personal life had really been non-existent. He had colleagues that he would go out with occasionally, but Dani had been his only friend. How had he never realized how closed off he was?

He thought back to that Saturday morning when that tall, beautiful man had walked into his life. Those sparkling eyes with the shifting colors looking at him with warmth and true openness. How could he possibly have said no to what had been offered that day? Jensen shook his head sadly. He had been so stupid to walk away. He had almost lost this amazing person through his own lack of courage. Thankfully the universe had other plans and threw him back into Jared’s path. Yes, he had wasted a little bit of time, but now he had a lifetime with Jared ahead of him.

It was amazing to Jensen to realize that he had only really known Jared for sixteen days. Only sixteen days and he was so deeply in love with this man that he couldn’t see straight. His life had become so much richer for having Jared in it.

He didn’t want to have to think about what the next two or three weeks were going to be like without Jared by his side. Long distance phone calls and sleeping alone were going to be brutal.

He decided that a phone call to his mama was long overdue and grabbed his phone.

“Jensen!” his mom exclaimed when she answered the phone. “How are you? I’ve been thinking about you and wondering how everything has been.”

“I can’t believe I haven’t talked to you in so long, Mama.” Jensen breathed. “I have so much to tell you.’

“Well, I don’t have anywhere to be for the next three hours.” Jensen could hear Donna’s smile through the phone. “So unless you need more time than that, I think we’re good.”

Jensen laughed and then launched into his tale of life for the last few days. His mama was thrilled to listen to the joy in his voice as he spoke. She asked questions and hummed when he filled her in on the appropriate details. He made sure to tell her about Jared’s new job prospect and the fact that Jared would be following him to Dallas.

“Oh, Jens! That’s amazing!” Donna was so happy for her boy. “Listen, I’ve been doing some work of my own down here and need to fill you in as well.”

“Okay. Shoot!” Jensen grinned.

“I’ve got my eye on a couple of apartments for you. They will be open at the end of the month, so when you get here, we can go take a look. There are also three clinics that are looking for part-time therapists in the vicinity of these apartments. Josh told me that you wanted to work for the Foundation, and I’m thrilled to hear that, but I thought you might want to have another source of income as well. We can give you close to 30 hours a week at the Foundation, but we can’t go much more than that. You’ll probably need something else.”

“Okay.” Jensen hesitated. “I was actually thinking about doing that the opposite way around. Working more hours with a clinic and working part-time with the Foundation.” Jensen offered apologetically. “I want to be part of that atmosphere, for sure, but I think I need to start slowly there. I’m not a hundred percent sure if I’ll be able to handle it.”

“Oh!” Donna said with surprise. “I was thinking you wanted to go full-time.”

“Sorry, Mama.” Jensen said. “I don’t mean to disappoint you, but I just need to see how I feel about everything once I’m back.”

“That’s fine, Jensen.” Donna said regaining her equilibrium. “We’ll do what’s best for you, baby. I’m really just happy that you’ll be back here with us. The rest we can figure out as we go along. No problem!”

“Thanks, Mama.” Jensen sighed. “I really do want to be part of it and help. I just need to go slow.”

“One of these days, you’re gonna tell me what happened to you, baby. I know when that light went out of your eyes. For now, though, just know that I love you. And that you couldn’t possibly disappoint me.” Donna said. “Anyway! I can’t wait to meet that young man of yours face-to-face. When is he getting here?”

The rest of the conversation revolved around Jared’s arrival and the plans once he got there. Jensen’s secret hope was that Jared would be willing to move in with him, but he had not yet voiced that as an option. He hoped the apartments that his mother was looking at would accommodate that.

 

Jared had mixed feelings on his way home from work that day. He was excited to see Jensen again and to be able to spend the entire night and next day with him. On the flip side, he was quickly approaching his last night with Jensen until he got to Texas. He had roughly 42 hours until he would be waving goodbye.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, Jared sent a text to Jensen to let him know to head over. On the way home, Jared let his mind wander. He couldn’t help but imagine what was in store for him when he finally got to Texas. As he pulled into his favorite parking spot, he saw Jensen leaning against the building with one foot kicked up against the wall. Jared let his eyes run down Jensen’s body and thought that was probably the sexiest thing he had ever seen. He cleared his throat and opened his door, watching as Jensen moved in his direction. They kissed hello and grabbed the groceries from the back. They began to chat and laugh as they headed up to Jared’s apartment.

With both of them working on dinner, it came together quickly. Before long they were settled in with Jared’s homemade chicken parmesan, three-cheese tortellini, garlic bread and a nice green salad. Once again, Jensen complimented Jared’s cooking and Jared was glowing with pride.

“I love to cook.” Jared confessed. “It has always helped me focus and helped me to calm myself. Wherever I end up living, it needs to have a decent kitchen in it.”

Jensen nodded and made a mental note. “Well, I enjoy eating, so we make a good team for that.” Jared chuckled.

They moved into the living room and settled onto the couch. Instead of trying to watch a movie, they decided to just talk and listen to music. Jared chose a few CDs and put them into his multi-disc changer and hit play. They spent the evening chatting and just holding onto each other in one form or another.

As they fell into Jared’s bed after separate showers, they clung to one another. They were each caught up in their own thoughts but desperate to not let go. Jared laid his head on Jensen’s chest and heaved a sigh. Jensen started running his hands through Jared’s hair.

“You could do that forever and I wouldn’t complain.” Jared muttered sleepily.

“Deal!” Jensen said quickly causing Jared to chuckle.

Jared slid up Jensen’s torso and hovered over Jensen’s face. With their eyes locked on one another, Jared eased down and placed a kiss on Jensen’s full mouth. He smiled and whispered, “Deal.”

Jensen’s hand, that had never left Jared’s hair, stroked through it again. Jensen lifted his head from his pillow and pulled Jared’s mouth toward his own for another kiss. His fingers twisted in Jared’s hair and caused Jared to moan in pleasure at the pull. Jensen felt a zing move through his body at the sound.

“God, I love it when you sound that way.” Jensen whispered. “That makes me want to do it again and again.”

“I can’t help it!” Jared answered softly. “It feels amazing!”

Jensen pulled Jared back to him again and wrapped both of his hands in Jared’s hair. He couldn’t get enough of the feel of the silky strands sliding between his fingers or the sounds that Jared made with the gentle tugs. Jensen moved back in to kiss Jared again. Jared pushed forward and plunged his tongue into Jensen’s mouth. Jensen groaned with pleasure at the force behind the kiss. The fact that Jared was being assertive did things to Jensen that he couldn’t control.

Jensen wrapped his leg around Jared’s and pulled it between his own. Once Jared’s thigh was in place, Jensen began to move his growing erection against it in soft little pushes, not wanting to force anything, but certainly seeking his own pleasure. He felt Jared slot himself against his hip and begin soft little pushes of his own as they continued to kiss deeply and passionately. Jensen ran one hand down Jared’s muscular back. As his hand slid further toward Jared’s buttocks, Jared broke the kiss and looked deep into Jensen’s eyes.

“Go with what you feel, Jen.” Jared whispered without breaking eye contact. “This feels so good with you.” Jared swallowed and then said, “Touch me how you want. If it gets too much, I promise I’ll tell you.”

“Okay, Jay.” Jensen answered. His fingers drifted back up to Jared’s shoulders and traced along his shoulder blade. His other hand pulled Jared’s mouth back to his own again. Jensen began to explore Jared’s mouth, tilting his head to get better access and a better angle. Jared opened and allowed him in. Jared’s hand found Jensen’s lower abdomen and palmed across the expanse of it. Jensen gasped at the feeling and pulled away. “God, Jay! Your hands are so big.”

Jared chuckled before leaning his face into Jensen’s neck. He ran his open mouth along Jensen’s neck and across his collarbone. As he began to plant kisses along Jensen’s upper chest, Jensen tilted his head back to allow Jared better access. As Jared continued to kiss and lick along Jensen’s neck, Jensen ran a couple of fingers along the inside of Jared’s waistband. Jared’s breath hitched and his hips pushed forward against Jensen’s hip.

“Yes, Jen.” Jared whispered. He ran his tongue up to Jensen’s ear and flicked it against that sensitive spot behind Jensen’s ear. “Touch me.”

“Uh, Jay!” Jensen groaned. He flexed his stomach in order to press himself into Jared’s thigh again, and Jared’s hand slid to Jensen’s lower back. He tugged Jensen toward himself until they were both laying on their sides facing each other. Jared’s leg was still between Jensen’s, so Jensen slid his bottom leg forward to put his leg between Jared’s. Jared flexed his hips forward to rub himself along the top of Jensen’s thigh.

They continued to move together, tongues dancing in each other’s mouth in turn, sharing the passion and love they felt for each other. Jensen’s hand slid further under Jared’s shorts, and Jensen tightened his grip on Jared’s rear, pulling Jared more toward himself. Jared’s breath caught again, and he bit into Jensen’s bottom lip. He tugged it as he moved his hips backward and forward a couple of times.

“Jensen, may I touch you like that?” Jared asked after letting go of Jensen’s lip. “Please, Jen. Let me feel you.”

“Oh God, yes!” Jensen moaned. “Please Jay!”

Jared slid his hand under Jensen’s waistband along his hip, and his fingers followed Jensen’s hipbone toward the front of his thigh. His fingers were tantalizingly close to where Jensen so desperately wanted them. Jensen froze in position to allow Jared to control the movement.

“No. No, Jen.” Jared panted into Jensen’s ear. “Don’t stop. Keep moving, please. Show me what you like. Don’t stop. I want you to move.”

Jensen flexed his hips forward again. His breath hitched as he felt the very tips of Jared’s fingers slide along his length.

“Oh Jesus!” Jensen breathed. “Anywhere you touch me. Anywhere! It feels so good. I can’t… I can’t even describe… Jay, I love you. I love you so much.”

“Jen,” Jared’s eyes filled with tears, and he tried to breathe through it. He brought his hand back up to Jensen’s lower back, his thumb stroking up the very base of Jensen’s spine. This was not the time to lose control. But to hear Jensen speak like that, so overcome with his own emotions, just made Jared weak. He swallowed and blinked his eyes. “Jen, I love you. So, so much.” The kissing and the touches continued until Jared pulled away again and whispered, “Show me.”

“Show you?” Jensen whispered.

“I want to see you. Can I see you?” Jared asked, so quietly Jensen could barely hear him.

“Yeah, of course.” Jensen answered. “Take them off me, Jay.”

Jared moved back the slightest bit and looked into Jensen’s eyes. Jensen nodded and then leaned in to give Jared another soft kiss.

“Are you sure?” Jared asked softly.

“Yes.” Jensen answered.

Jared slid his hands down again to Jensen’s waistband. His fingers sliding just underneath the fabric. Jensen’s fingers spread out across Jared’s buttocks in return, his breath hitching in pleasure. As Jared’s thumb caught on the top of the waistband, he slowly slid the shorts down Jensen’s hip. He carefully slid his hand around the front to pull the elastic away from the head of Jensen’s cock. He slid his hand down the underside of Jensen’s erection as he moved the shorts lower.

“Wait!” Jensen panted. Jared froze in place, eyes wide. Jensen could read the panic there. He reached up and stroked one hand through Jared’s hair and placed a gentle kiss beside Jared’s mouth. “Let me lay on my back. It’ll be easier.” Jared blew out a breath and closed his eyes. “What’s going on?” Jensen asked softly.

“I thought I did something wrong.” Jared replied looking back at Jensen again. “I thought…”

“Are you kidding me?” Jensen smiled, as he stroked his thumb along Jared’s cheekbone. “I want you to get what you want. If you want to see me, you’re gonna see me.” Jensen promised. “You make my whole body sing just from the smallest of touches. I want what you want because you make me happy.”

“Okay.” Jared smiled shyly. He leaned his forehead against Jensen’s and sighed. Jensen slowly pulled away and rolled onto his back. Jared sat up and leaned over Jensen’s hips. He placed one hand on each side of Jensen’s sleep shorts and began tugging them down again. Jensen raised his hips to allow the shorts to slide right off. As his erection stood proudly, Jensen ran a hand along Jared’s arm. “Jensen, you are so beautiful.”

Jensen blushed and removed his hand from Jared’s arm. He turned his head away and seemed to tense up. Jared realized his mistake and cleared his throat. He reached out to Jensen and tapped his chin. When Jensen looked back at him, Jared continued.

“You are beautiful.” Jared said sincerely, looking into Jensen’s eyes. “But that’s not all that you are. That’s not all that I see when I look at you.” Jared leaned down to make sure that Jensen couldn’t look away. “You are everything I have ever wanted. Everything I have ever needed. You are strong, smart, kind, caring, snarky,” Jared paused while Jensen huffed a laugh. “Protective, intelligent. I could go on and on here. You make me feel safe and warm. You have given me so much in such a short time. I don’t ever want to do anything that would hurt you in any way.” Jared paused and made sure he had Jensen’s full attention. “When I say you’re beautiful, I mean from the inside out.” Jared’s mouth pulled up into a brilliant smile that highlighted his dimples. A blush rushed over his face, and he said, “But you also have a gorgeous cock.”

Jensen’s deep laughter rolled out of him at that. He sat up quickly and pulled Jared into his chest. “I can’t believe you just said that!”

“I can’t either!” Jared answered. He tucked his head into Jensen’s neck and giggled. “But it’s true.”

Jensen stroked his hand up and down Jared’s back again. When he pulled away to look at Jared, his emotions were visible in his eyes. Both men became solemn again.

“I’m sorry.” Jared whispered. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“I know.” Jensen answered. “I don’t doubt you or the way you feel about me.”

“Good.” Jared stated. “But please remember that it’s me, and I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Jensen replied.

“So now what?” Jared slid his arms up to Jensen’s shoulders and squeezed him close. “Did we kill the mood?”

“Well, I think I should get to see you. I’m sitting here completely naked, and you still have clothes on.” Jensen’s eyes twinkled in mischief. “How is this fair?”

Jared pulled away and looked at Jensen. He took in the gorgeous man in front of him and leaned forward, placing a kiss on Jensen’s nose.

“I guess it isn’t fair, is it?” Jared moved off the bed and stood to the side. He hooked his thumbs in his waistband with his feet apart and said, “How do you want it, big guy?”

“What?” Jensen laughed.

Jared felt completely at ease and intended to have some fun. He felt it was only right after making the moment so weird between them. He wiggled his hips from side to side and then shook his butt.

“How about a little shake and shimmy?” he laughed. Jensen’s eyes kept getting wider as he took in the spectacle in front of him. Jared threw his head back and dropped his arms to his sides. He stood there completely open and almost entirely exposed. Then he remembered something and dashed out of the room.

“Jay?” he could hear Jensen’s voice following him.

“Wait right there! I’ll be right back!” he called out behind him. He quickly grabbed his iPod and its plug-in speaker and dashed back to the bedroom. He quickly set everything up on the TV stand. When he turned back to Jensen, he noticed that Jensen had draped the sheet over his waist. Jared felt bad that Jensen felt the need to cover himself. He moved to the bed, dropped a quick kiss on Jensen’s cheek and then moved back to the TV stand. “Keep your eyes open.” He whispered. He pushed play on the iPod and then dashed back out to the hallway again.

The opening horns to Joe Cocker’s version of “You Can Leave Your Hat On” started, and Jensen started to laugh. When the piano part started, Jared wrapped his leg around the doorframe and looked into the room. He walked seductively into the bedroom and paced back and forth to the beat of the song. When the vocals started, Jared began to bop around the bedroom and started mouthing the words and dancing awkwardly. When the lyrics hit the repeated line “You give me reason to live” Jared looked right at Jensen and pointed at him. Then he started swaying his hips from side to side. He kicked his leg in the air and then dropped to his knees. He hopped back up and continued to dance. When the repeated line “They don’t know what love is” started, he crawled onto the bed, getting closer and closer to Jensen. After he sang out loud along with the line “I know what love is,” he gave Jensen a big kiss.

When he pulled away, he continued to dance around the room. As the song began to fade, Jared turned his back to Jensen and slowly pushed his shorts down his legs. He was now standing with his back to Jensen, chest heaving, with his shorts around his ankles. He had thrown one hand in the air at the end. He slowly let it glide back down to his side.

He began to realize what he had just done, and what had seemed like a great idea fell apart. He suddenly felt stupid. He hung his head down and brought his hands up to his face. He was afraid to look back at Jensen. He wasn’t sure what he would see. As he stood there, he could feel the emotions moving to the surface. Then suddenly he felt warm hands on his hips. Those hands slid around to his stomach, one moved up toward his chest and ended up resting over his heart.

“Jay?” Jensen’s voice sounded unsure behind him. “You okay?”

Jared felt hot tears fill his eyes. He shook his head from side to side but didn’t trust his voice. He kept his face covered and didn’t move.

“Jay, babe?” Jensen tried again. “That was probably one of the best things I have ever experienced.”

Jared huffed out a disbelieving laugh and continued to stand there. Jensen edged closer to him, and Jared could feel Jensen’s warm skin against his back. He felt Jensen place small, loving kisses on his back and shoulders. He brought one of his hands down and placed it over the one on his heart, and Jensen moved even closer behind him.

“Jay?” Jensen tried again. “I’d like it if you could turn around and look at me. Can you do that?”

Jared dropped both hands to his sides again and looked up at the ceiling. He lifted one foot out of his shorts and then the other one, kicking his shorts away. He wiped his eyes quickly and then heaved a deep breath. Jensen slid his hands down to Jared’s waist and took a step back. Jared tried to collect himself a little bit more but figured he wasn’t fooling anyone. He turned slowly around and faced Jensen.

Jensen’s eyes were on his face when he finally faced front. Jensen stood on his tip toes in order to look more directly into Jared’s face. He leaned forward delicately, careful not to let any other part of his body brush against Jared, and kissed him softly on the side of the mouth.

“That was probably _the_ best thing I have ever experienced.” Jensen smiled warmly. “I have never had anyone dance for me before. And I can pretty much guarantee, given your reaction, that you have never done that for anyone else.” Jared nodded. “That’s amazing. I absolutely loved it.”

“I feel like an idiot.” Jared said flatly.

“Why?” Jensen asked.

“Because that was a ridiculous thing to do. I looked stupid. I can’t believe I just did that.”

“Jay? Sweetheart?” Jensen rubbed his thumbs along Jared’s lower abdomen. “You did _not_ look stupid! Trust me.” Jensen paused and then asked, “What made you decide to do that?”

Jared tilted his head to the side and considered Jensen’s question honestly. “I wanted to make you laugh. I felt comfortable and wanted to do something silly.”

“Why did that change?” Jensen asked again.

“I wasn’t looking at you anymore, I guess. I didn’t know how you would react. I wanted to do it, and then I just felt stupid.”

“Jay?” Jensen reached up to Jared’s face and laid his hand along Jared’s jawline. “Until you looked like you were falling apart, I was _really_ turned on.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I was really turned on. I was getting to see a new side of you and it was hot. Especially when you were crawling toward me on the bed. You were having fun. You were so confident. It reminded me of the day we sat together at the Alamo. You were just being yourself, and it was amazing! And you’ve got fabulous hip action.” Jensen grinned.

“Pfft!” Jared grinned. “Whatever!”

“It’s true!” Jensen grinned again. He patted Jared on the chest. “Look, I got shy when I got naked and you said I was beautiful. You just did a strip tease for me and now you’re feeling off. We’re both a bit vulnerable here. I think we’re on the same page.” Jared nodded. “So I gotta ask. Can I look now?”

Jared laughed and blushed. He looked Jensen in the eyes and nodded. He watched as Jensen’s eyes drifted down his body. When Jensen got to Jared’s cock, his eyes widened and he unknowingly licked his lips. Jared was certainly proportional.

“Jensen?” Jared asked a bit unsure.

“May I?” Jensen asked softly.

“Sure.” Jared answered. “May I?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Jensen slowly let his hand drift down from Jared’s chest where it had most recently been resting. He ran his fingertips along the cut of Jared’s hipbones and couldn’t help the soft groan that issued from his lips. He watched as Jared’s cock firmed up and jumped slightly as he ran his hand along the top of Jared’s pelvic region. His fingers drifted down Jared’s happy trail and stopped just before actually touching Jared’s growing erection.

“Jay?” Jensen whispered.

“It’s okay, Jen.” Jared kissed Jensen on the temple. “Go ahead.”

Jared sucked in a breath when Jensen finally wrapped his fingers around him. His eyes slammed shut, and he thunked his head into Jensen’s. Jensen looked up at Jared and was blown away by the look on his face. Ultimate bliss was the first thing that popped into his head. He stroked along Jared’s length and watched Jared’s face.

“Jay?” he whispered. “You okay?”

“Jen,” Jared breathed out. “Jesus, Jen!”

Jensen chuckled and then stroked Jared again. The answering moan was well worth it. He gathered the fluid leaking from Jared’s tip and redistributed it along Jared’s length.

“I’ve got to get my hands on you, Jen. Please.” Jared moaned.

“I’m right here. It’s okay.”

Jared’s hand drifted along Jensen’s spine and down to his buttocks. Jared’s right hand smoothed its way around Jensen’s cheek and along his upper thigh. When Jared’s fingers found Jensen’s scrotum, Jensen hummed his approval. Jared’s eyes popped open, and he looked down at their hands and their erections. He stroked his hand up Jensen’s cock from the base to the tip and Jensen moaned.

“Bed.” Jared choked out. “Now, please.”

Jensen tugged on Jared’s hip and started walking backwards to the bed. When his legs hit the mattress, he turned to the side and brought Jared with him. They shared a couple of kisses and then split apart long enough to lay down facing each other on their sides. Jensen slid closer to Jared until the heads of their cocks bumped together. Jared let out a soft whimper and his eyes fluttered shut.

“Oh my God!” Jared muttered. “I never knew. I have wanted you, but I didn’t know it would feel like this. Jensen. Jensen, you are a miracle!”

Jensen smiled and ran his erection along Jared’s a couple of times, his hips pumping forward and back. Jared’s eyes rolled, and he kept emitting soft sounds. Jensen reached up to Jared’s hair and tugged, and Jared’s breath left him for a second.

“Jay! You are so beautiful!” Jensen whispered. “I can’t believe…”

“Jensen, I’m yours. All yours.” Jared whispered back and then leaned in to kiss Jensen. Jensen responded immediately, opening for Jared and allowing Jared to work his tongue in his mouth. Jensen moaned with pleasure. The two continued to move together and share passionate kisses, hands stroking along muscles and hips. Jensen eventually reached between them and aligned them so that their erections were against one another. His hand wasn’t quite large enough to handle their combined girth, but he began to stroke them, using their combined fluids to ease the way. Jared added his own hand to keep them together better and laced his fingers between Jensen’s. Together they stroked. Jared’s kisses became sloppy and wet, but Jensen didn’t care. He was too close to his own fulfillment to notice.

“Please, Jen! Please!” Jared whispered and moaned again. His voice rough with use.

“Jay!” Jensen moaned in return. “Jay, yes!”

Upon hearing Jensen’s answering pleasure, Jared sped up the pace and began to move his hips to glide his tip along the underside of Jensen’s cock. Jensen’s moans grew louder with the intensified sensation this gave him. Jensen could feel his climax gathering speed. The warmth that had been throughout his body was running along his spine and down into his belly. His balls were tightening and his rhythm was beginning to falter.

“Jay! Jay, I’m…” Jensen whispered.

“Let me hear you!” Jared whispered in return. “Please, Jen! I wanna know how you feel.”

Jensen answered with grunts and moans, gradually growing louder and louder. His mouth fell open and his head tilted slightly back as he began to thrust into Jared’s hand. Finally, with Jared’s name on his lips, Jensen came. Jared listened and watched, taking it all in. He continued to stroke Jensen until he grew too sensitive to touch. Jensen’s eyes opened again, and he immediately found Jared’s eyes. Looking blissed out, Jensen leaned forward to give Jared a deep kiss. Jensen’s hand tightened on Jared’s length and began to move. It didn’t take long until Jared also found bliss, calling out Jensen’s name in return. Jensen stroked Jared through it and kissed Jared’s eyelids and lips.

They lay together with heaving breaths and kissed. Soft hands stroking slightly sweaty skin. Words were murmured, and after a quick clean-up, they snuggled in for sleep.


	8. Chapter Eight

In order not to waste any time together the next day, they got an early start. First was breakfast at the diner where they met, then a trip into D.C. to take in some of the monuments in the morning, lunch on the Mall, and then the Smithsonian Museum of American History. By three o’clock, they were both worn out and ready to head back to Jared’s for a bit. They were due at the restaurant to meet their friends by six, so after a thirty-minute drive back, they had a couple of hours to relax and get ready. By the time they needed to head out, they had napped and showered and were ready to go.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Gen and Scott were already there. They had gotten a text from Tyson who was five minutes out. They just needed to hear from Daneel, and they would be all set. The hostess showed them to their table and promised to bring Daneel and Tyson back as soon as they got there. They were seated at a round table in a small semi-private room near the back. As they got situated, Genevieve introduced Jensen and Scott.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jensen.” Scott said with a smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Gen.”

“Uh oh!” Jensen laughed.

“No, it was all good. I promise!” Gen laughed.

They chatted amiably for a few minutes until the waitress entered to get their drink orders. As she was leaving, Tyson entered. Scott hurried around the table to give his friend a big hug. The two laughed and patted each other on the back before Scott made his introductions to the rest of the table.

When Jared caught Jensen grinning, he leaned over and whispered, “What’s up?”

“Wait until Dani gets here.” Jensen replied.

“Why?”

“Tyson is exactly her type. This is going to be interesting.” Jensen chuckled.

Jared looked at Tyson again and took in his neatly trimmed dark hair, blue eyes and pale skin. Tyson was roughly 6-foot-tall with a broad chest and powerful looking legs. He was wearing a gray button-up with a subtle stripe and dark blue jeans. The sleeves on his shirt were rolled up to the elbow, and Jared could see a small tattoo peeking out from under Tyson’s right sleeve. He was intrigued by the mark and wanted to ask about it, but he kept his curiosity in check. He figured he’d have a chance to ask later.

Jensen leaned into Jared and tugged his phone out of his pocket to place it on the table. As he did, he felt the vibration of an incoming message and checked the screen.

_Daneel: I’m coming in now. Where are we?_

_Jensen: Small room in the back. Can’t wait to see you!_

He turned the screen to show Jared and then settled in to watch Daneel’s reaction.

“You didn’t warn her?” Jared whispered.

“Nope. I want this to be natural.” Jensen answered.

“What are you two whispering about?” Gen asked.

“You’ll see.” Jensen replied with a smile.

Daneel entered from behind Scott and Tyson. Jensen and Jared were facing the doorway and were the first ones to see her. She smiled beautifully as she saw them sitting together at the table. Jensen smiled back and stood to give her a hug. As she moved into the room toward him, she kept her eyes on Jensen. After the hug, she leaned over and gave Jared a quick hug as well. She greeted Gen and then looked at the two men she didn’t know. Jensen watched as her face changed from simply happy to stunned. Jensen began to make his introductions.

“Daneel, you know Jared and Genevieve, of course. This is Gen’s fiancé Scott and his friend Tyson.”

“Um, hello.” Daneel smiled while pushing her long auburn hair over her shoulder. Her eyes were locked on Tyson, whose eyes were locked on Daneel. Jensen watched as Daneel swallowed and turned her eyes to Scott. “Pleased to meet you.”

Jensen indicated that Daneel should sit in the last available seat which just happened to be between Jared and Tyson. Daneel looked at the chair, blushed and took her place at the table. Jensen caught Jared’s eye and winked, making Jared huff out a quiet laugh. As he took his seat between Jensen and his best friend, he caught Jensen’s hand and placed it on the table, keeping it firmly in his own.

Drinks and then food came to the table and everyone was talking animatedly and getting along really well. Jared enjoyed chatting with Daneel when she wasn’t smiling and talking with Tyson. Jensen, Genevieve and Scott were having great conversations when they weren’t otherwise engaged.

“So Jensen,” Scott started when the table grew quiet over the main course. “When are you heading out?”

“Tomorrow.” Jensen answered. Jared’s hand tightened around his own, and Jensen stroked his thumb along Jared’s knuckles. “I pick up the van in the morning, load it, and then head out after the apartment gets inspected. It shouldn’t take very long in the morning.”

“You want some help?” Tyson asked.

“Yes and no.” Jensen answered. When Tyson looked confused, he continued. “Yes because it will make things easier, and it will go faster, so I can get on the road. No because that means I’ll have to leave sooner.”

Jared’s eyes dropped to the table.

“But I thought you wanted to go. Thought you were excited?” Tyson returned.

“Again, yes and no.” Jensen smiled. “We’ve found ourselves in a complicated position.”

Daneel leaned in Tyson’s direction and began to quietly explain that Jensen had made the decision before meeting Jared. As she did, Jared leaned toward Jensen and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Then he whispered, “I’ll be right back.” He got up and moved out of the room.

Jensen watched him go, unsure as to whether or not to follow him. Genevieve patted his hand and said, “He’ll be okay. You can give him a few minutes.”

Jensen nodded and tuned back in to what was going on around the table. When he did, he heard Tyson saying, “So you guys need someone to take over your lease for a month?”

“Well,” Genevieve started. “Jared wants to head back to Texas as soon as possible. His last day at work is June first, I think. He’d like to get packed and out quickly after that. Our lease runs until August fourth, so it would be more like two months.”

As the conversation continued, Jensen excused himself and went to look for Jared. He headed straight out to the parking lot, figuring Jared would want fresh air to help clear his head. From the doorway, he could see Jared’s tall frame standing beside his truck. Jensen watched for a few minutes until he saw Jared’s hand rub across his face, then he began to walk across the parking lot toward his partner.

“Jay!” Jensen called out. Jared turned in his direction and leaned back against his truck. Jensen walked straight into the vee of Jared’s legs and placed his hands on Jared’s waist. “I missed you. You coming back in?”

“Yeah. Of course.” Jared answered. He rubbed his hands up and down Jensen’s upper arms. “I just needed a minute.”

“I know.” Jensen answered taking another step forward. He leaned in and gave Jared a soft kiss. “I just want to see you as much as I can, so when you didn’t come back…”

“Okay.” Jared smiled. “I get it.” He leaned forward and rested his forehead against Jensen’s shoulder. “I don’t want to miss any time either, Jen. I just didn’t want you to see how I felt hearing them talking about you leaving. I needed a small break.”

Jensen ran his fingers through Jared’s hair for a few minutes and then ran his thumb down Jared’s jawline. When he reached Jared’s chin, he tapped it with his finger. Jared raised his chin to look Jensen in the eyes.

“It’s gonna suck being away from you, Jay. I’m not gonna lie.” Jensen started. When Jared attempted to drop his chin back down again, Jensen firmly kept his chin up. “But! It won’t be for that long, right? Three and a half weeks. Four weeks at the most, right?” Jared nodded. Jensen said, “I want to believe that it will make us stronger to know exactly how much we need each other.”

“I know. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Yadda, yadda, yadda.” Jared huffed. “But I just found you after years of awfulness. I don’t want to wave goodbye to you tomorrow.”

“Come on.” Jensen tried to encourage Jared. “We can do this. It’s just a test, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” Jared whispered and leaned his forehead on Jensen’s. “We’ll be okay.”

“Yes. We will.” Jensen tilted his head and gave Jared a quick kiss. “Now, let’s get back in there before Dani runs off with Tyson. I want to watch the fireworks.” Jared coughed out a laugh, and they made their way back in to where their friends were still steadily chatting at the table.

By the time dinner was over, Tyson and Scott had promised to help Jensen and Jared load Jensen’s moving van. Jared and Jensen decided to call it a night not too long after that. Jensen needed to get some sleep since he was planning to start his drive the next day. The other four decided to go out for a nightcap before separating.

“Well, you seem to have made a few friends.” Jensen whispered in Daneel’s ear as he was hugging her goodnight.

“He’s gorgeous!” she whispered back. “And the other two aren’t bad either.”

“You coming by tomorrow?” Jensen asked at a slightly louder volume.

“Well, duh!” Daneel laughed. “I want to be sure you have everything, don’t I?”

“Yes, mom.” Jensen smiled. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“You better believe it, Mister.” Daneel poked Jensen in the chest.

Goodbyes were said all around and Jared and Jensen watched as the other four piled into Scott’s car with the girls in the back.

“I think Gen and Dani are getting along really well.” Jared said softly. “I hope they remain friends.”

“Me, too.” Jensen answered. “Dani needs someone not associated with her business to hang around with. She spends way too much time with that place. I’d love it if she could relax a bit more.”

“It would be great for Gen, too. They seem like they come from similar places, if you know what I mean.” Jared reached his hand out to Jensen.

“Yep. I do.” Jensen replied while lacing his fingers with Jared’s.

They made their way to Jared’s, got cleaned up and tumbled into bed. Jensen held Jared close as they drifted off to sleep.

 

The next morning saw them up and out early as they made their way to the rental van company. They grabbed a quick breakfast on the way. Jared followed Jensen back to his apartment and the work day began. By the time Scott and Tyson showed up, Jensen had unhooked the car trailer and had the van in position to begin the loading process. Gen and Dani showed up after the guys. They brought coffees and breakfast sandwiches for everyone. Things moved very quickly after that.

“We are a well-oiled machine!” Tyson exclaimed as the last box went onto the truck.

“Yep.” Scott answered. He pulled Gen tight to his side and buzzed a quick kiss to her temple.

“Yeah,” she answered, giving Jared a quick glance.

He had been sitting on the fender of the car trailer for the last ten minutes, not meeting anyone’s eyes. Jensen walked in his direction and threw an arm around his shoulders.

“I need to make sure the truck is together and then get the inspection taken care of.” Jensen ran his fingers through Jared’s hair. Jared looked up at him out of the corner of his eye. “What do you want to do?”

Jared shrugged and looked away quickly. Jensen noticed Tyson, Scott and Gen at the side of the truck having a quick conversation, but he didn’t see Dani anywhere. He started looking around for her.

“Have you seen Dani?” he asked everyone. Gen and the guys shook their heads and started looking around. Jared simply pointed. Jensen followed the direction indicated and saw Dani sitting in the grass several feet away. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach and her shoulders were shaking. Jensen immediately recognized that Dani was distraught. He leaned down to Jared and said softly, “I’ll be right back.”

Jensen jogged over to his best friend and quickly wrapped his arms around her. Dani immediately leaned against him and continued to sob uncontrollably. Jensen quietly shushed her and tried to soothe her by running his fingers through her hair.

“Dani, it’s okay.” He whispered. “Everything is going to be just fine, sweetheart.”

“I know, Jensen.” Dani said softly. “It just hit me is all. I walked down the stairs a minute ago and saw your whole life packed into that truck. It smacked me right in the face.”

“Dani?” Jensen paused and tried to find her eyes. When he got her to look at him, he said, “That’s not my whole life. That’s just stuff. You are my life. Jared is my life. My family… It doesn’t matter where I am or where you are, you are my best friend. That’s not changing. I love you and that doesn’t end.”

“I know.” Dani sniffled. “I know. But thank you for saying it.” She smiled at her friend, and he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’m excited for you to have a new chapter. And I love Jared! He’s amazing!”

“Yes, yes he is!” Jensen agreed.

“But I can’t help feeling like things are changing so fast. And I can’t keep up.” Daneel sighed. “I’m… I feel lost, Jens.”

“Me too!” Jensen laughed quietly. “I don’t know what’s going on anymore!” He paused and shook his head. “This is going to suck! Much more than I thought it would.” He looked up to see that Jared had joined the others by the truck. They seemed to be double-checking the contents to secure anything that looked shaky. “I don’t want to leave you behind. And I can’t imagine looking in the rearview mirror to see him standing there without me. I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to drive away.”

“Well, you better figure it out.” Dani said, a bitter smile on her face. “You have a very short amount of time before that will be reality.”

“Oh God!” Jensen moaned. A tear slid down his face and his chin dropped. “How am I going to be able to leave you two behind?”

“Jensen,” Dani leaned into her friend and wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll be here for him. So will Gen. We’ve got him, and you two will be back together before you know it. Just know that I love you and support you no matter what. I’m just feeling sorry for myself here.”

“Hey!” Jensen laughed. “Me too.” They shared a quiet laugh and then Jensen helped Daneel get up. “Let’s go see what’s happening over there.” He dusted off his pants and stretched. “By the way, how are things going with Tyson?”

Daneel’s cheeks turned a bright pink and she looked away quickly. “Fine.”

“Oh yeah?” Jensen laughed. “Looks like better than fine to me.”

“He’s a really nice guy, Jensen. He’s funny and kind.” Dani said.

“Well, alright.” Jensen laughed. “That’s good to know.”

“We actually have plans for later tonight with Gen and Scott. As long as Jared is okay.” Dani paused for a moment. “Gen’s worried about him. So we’ll wait to make sure he’s okay before we go anywhere.”

“Thanks for that.” Jensen’s voice sounded choked up. “Shit.”

“It’ll be okay, Jensen.” Dani whispered. “We’ll help him get through it. I promise.”

“Okay.” Jensen smiled. “But who’s gonna help me?”

“Four weeks, Jensen.” Dani said strongly. “You can do anything for four weeks.”

“Ugh!” Jensen groaned. He threw his arm over Daneel’s shoulders, and they made their way over to the truck. Jared jumped down from the back and leaned against the side of the truck as they approached. Jensen walked straight for him, removing his arm from Daneel’s shoulders. As he got closer to Jared, he grabbed Jared’s hips and laid his head against Jared’s collarbone. Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen’s shoulders and nuzzled his head against the top of Jensen’s. Dani smiled at the picture they made and climbed up into the back of the truck.

“Jen.” Jared whispered.

“Yep.” Jensen answered.

“You are standing right here and I already miss you.” Jared whispered.

“Oh, babe!” Jensen stepped even closer and wrapped his arms around Jared’s waist. “Four weeks, Jay.”

“I know.” Jared responded. He lifted his head and placed a quick kiss on Jensen’s head. “Come on! Let’s finish up, so you can get on the road. I don’t want you driving too late tonight.”

Jensen looked up at his partner and smiled. He leaned in for a kiss and then pulled away gently. “Okay, let’s wrap it up.”

 

Before they knew it, Jensen was tightening the straps on his car one last time before heading toward the driver’s seat. Jared double checked the attachment to the towing hitch, making sure the electrical connections were working properly. Dani, Gen and Scott were waiting to say goodbye. Tyson had already headed out. He had some errands to run. As Jensen made the final tug on the straps, he looked around at his friends.

“Well,” he started. He heard Jared sniffle. “I guess it’s time for me to hit the road.”

“Jensen.” Scott stated holding out his hand. “It has been a pleasure to get to know you over the last twenty-four hours. Wish I had met you sooner, man.”

“Thanks, man!” Jensen replied. “I agree with that one. Come see me in Texas when you get a chance. Door’s open.”

“That…I will do! Thanks!” Scott moved away.

“Jensen.” Genevieve started. She paused and had to wipe her eyes. “Please drive safely. There’s a lot riding on those tires with you.”

“I know, Gen.” Jensen replied softly. “Take care of him for me.”

“I will do my best.” Gen pulled Jensen into her arms and whispered into his ear. “Thank you for being the one to love him. I couldn’t have picked anyone better or more perfect.”

Jensen gave her a little squeeze. “Thank you for keeping him alive until I could get to him.”

Genevieve patted Jensen’s back and moved out of the way. She moved toward Scott and they waited quietly for Daneel.

“C’mere.” Jensen said waiving her forward. Daneel moved into his arms and laid her head against his shoulder. “You know you can come visit me whenever you want.”

“Yep.” Dani replied softly. She snuggled against her best friend and held tight. “I don’t want to let you go.”

“I know. Me, too.”

“Call me when you stop for the night. I want to know where you are.” Daneel said as she pulled away.

“I will.” Jensen promised. Daneel moved to where Gen and Scott were standing, and Jensen turned toward Jared. Jared was behind the truck with his hands in his pockets. Jensen moved in his direction slowly. Jared looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

Jensen moved quietly into Jared’s space, and Jared wrapped his arms around the love of his life and held on tight. Jensen moved as close as he could and held on right back.

“I love you. So much.” Jared whispered.

“I love you, too.” Jensen whispered in return. “More than I can even explain.”

“Be safe on the roads. Keep me posted on where you are, please.”

“Of course.” Jensen answered. “Four weeks, Jay.”

“Yep.” Jared answered. “And when I get there, I want you all to myself for at least thirty-six hours.”

“You got it, big boy!” Jensen laughed. When he started to pull away, Jared moaned piteously. “C’mon, Jay. Be strong for us, please. I’m trying so hard.”

“I know.” Jared whispered. “I’m trying, too.”

He released his hold on Jensen and let him pull away. Jensen grabbed his hand and they walked together toward the driver’s side door. Jensen made eye contact with each of his friends and then opened the door. Jared kept holding his hand until Jensen needed to close the door. The window was down, so Jared leaned in and placed his hand on the back of Jensen’s neck. Jensen let out a deep sigh and tilted his head in Jared’s direction. Jared leaned in and gave Jensen a long good-bye kiss. When they moved away from each other, they both needed to wipe their eyes.

Jared tapped the door with his hand and said, “I love you, Jen.”

Jensen tapped Jared’s chin gently and whispered. “I love you. See you soon.”

Jared stepped away from the truck and Jensen pulled away. And with that he was gone.


	9. Chapter Nine

Jared was sitting at home that night when his phone rang. He had requested to have some alone time, so Gen and Scott had kept their date with Tyson and Daneel and had left Jared at the apartment by himself. He figured it was a little too early for Jensen and was surprised to see his mother’s phone number on the screen.

“Mom?” Jared answered.

“Hey, Jare!” his mother called. “How are you doing?”

“Um…” Jared paused. “Not great, Mama. How are you doing tonight?”

“Oh, Jared!” his mom said. “What’s going on?”

“Jensen left this morning. He’s on his way back to Texas.”

“Oh, sweetie!” his mom’s sympathetic voice came through the phone. “I’m so sorry! I know it’s hard for you. What have you decided to do?”

“I can’t believe we haven’t had a chance to talk about it. So much has happened.” Jared said. He then told his mom about the upcoming buyout, the start of Steve and Franklin’s company, how he had given his notice and planned to move back to Texas. He explained the brunch he and Jensen had gone to at Steve’s house and how pleasant it was. He also told his mom how he had asked Jeff to help him look for jobs and that Jeff had started looking while on his honeymoon. Before that part of the conversation had ended, Jared was feeling better about things. He enjoyed the reminder that things were falling so conveniently into place for them. It still shocked him how everything just seemed to fit.

“Wow, Jared! Honey, so much is going your way with this. Why are you so sad?”

“There are still so many things that are up in the air right now.” Jared replied. “And he isn’t here, Mama. I miss him.”

“He is an amazing person, Jared. You really have found someone special.” Sherri said quietly. “I know that it will be difficult for you while you are apart, but you have to focus on what you two have. _Already_. I mean, you haven’t known each other very long at all. And look at how close you are. How important you are to each other. This is such a special thing that you two have!”

“Thanks, Mama,” Jared whispered.

“I mean it, son.” Sherri stated. “He makes you so happy and so much more yourself.” Sherri paused and sniffled quietly. “I know that I haven’t always been the best, most observant parent in the world. I’ve got to live with that. But I have _always_ known what a bright light you are. I have always known that you are a special person, Jared. The soul that you are is gorgeous and full. You had been dimmed by that asshole, but with Jensen your shine is back. I’m so, so glad to see that. Your smile is so beautiful, sweetheart. And I’m so happy to see it on your face again.”

“Mama!” Jared gasped, mock serious. “You said a bad word!”

“It’s been known to happen J.T. And don’t try to distract me!” Sherri laughed. “I guess it just indicates that I’m serious about what I’m telling you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jared laughed. “I guess it does. And again. Thank you.”

“Jared, I love you. I want the best for you.” Sherri sniffled again. “I can see that Jensen is it. He is fantastic on his own, but with you he is even more impressive. The two of you together are so beautiful. Your lights just shine and shine. Your grandad would be so proud of you!”

“Mama!” Jared gasped again, reminded about his most recent interaction with his grandfather. “I dreamed about him.”

“J.T. why didn’t you tell me?”

Jared launched into the story of his dream about his grandfather only editing the last bit about Jensen being naked in the bed. By the end of his story, his mom was laughing and sniffling at the same time.

“That sounds like Daddy alright.” Sherri said softly. “He always believed in dreams and messages from beyond. He often claimed he had dreams that later came true. If anyone could contact you from beyond the grave, it would be my father.”

“Huh!” Jared grunted.

“What?”

“I’m thinking back over the last couple of months and… I just realized… I’ve been having some interesting dreams.” Jared said sounding confused. “The one with grandad was just the most recent.”

“Tell me?” Sherri asked softly.

Jared began to talk about all of the dreams that he could remember that had some sort of “coming true” element. He included ones that left a big impression upon him after waking as well. As he spoke he remembered more and more of them that had really begun to happen within the last few months.

“When you were younger, you used to have these instances where something would happen and you would say that you had seen that before. We used to laugh it off. Maybe you had dreams like this back then.” Sherri stated. She huffed out a breath. “Jared honey, maybe you share your grandad’s gift. Maybe you have precognitions.”

“Huh!” Jared was caught off guard by that statement. “So you believe in that stuff?”

“I don’t know.” Sherri answered honestly. “I don’t disbelieve. I just never gave my dad much attention when he would talk about these things. I laughed it off.” She paused. “God, I’m really a terrible, self-centered human being, aren’t I?”

“No, Mama.” Jared swallowed loudly. “You’re not. Not really.”

“Yes, I am.” Sherri said. “I’m too focused on myself and what I want. I don’t pay enough attention to people around me who I’m supposed to love and care for. I’m awful!”

“Mama!” Jared admonished. “You’re not awful!”

“I am though.” Sherri said. “I wanted a daughter and as soon as I had one, I forgot all about you and your brother. You both needed me so much. And I wasn’t there for you. Either one of you. I didn’t pay attention when my mom died either. I wanted to get married, and when I found your dad, I forgot all about my parents. Dad was devastated when mom died. I don’t remember helping him much at all through that. I was too focused on my life and what I wanted.” She paused again before whispering, “I’m so sorry, Jared. I want to be better for you. I want to be a bigger part of your life. I want to care for you.”

“That means a lot.” Jared answered. “Mama, I want you to be a bigger part of my life, too. But you need to understand something.”

“What’s that, J.T.?”

“I’ve been on my own for a while now, and I’ve had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve come to depend on myself for everything. So now, I’m not going to ask for much. I’m not going to want your advice that often either. I _will_ want your support and your acceptance, but I’ve been making my own decisions for a long, long time. And there are things I want and need that don’t have a whole lot to do with you and dad anymore. I’m so glad that you want to care for me. That you love me. But I won’t go back. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am right now. I like me. Now. And I like where my life is going.”

“I know, Jared.” Sherri said softly. “I understand. I just want to be included. I want to be able to talk with you about your life and know how things are really going for you.”

“I can do that.” Jared promised. “One thing I want you to consider. When I move back to Texas.”

“Yes?” Sherri asked when Jared paused.

“I’m moving to Dallas to be with Jensen. I’m not sure what that’s going to look like yet.”

“You mean…” Sherri started.

“I might move in with him.” Jared said firmly. The thought had just solidified. He hadn’t even talked with Jensen about it yet, but he felt certain he needed to forewarn his Mama.

“I know.” Sherri agreed. “I figured that might be the case. I’m fine with that if that’s what you guys decide to do. I won’t judge you. Remember, I let you sleep together while you were here.”

Jared smiled and said, “Yeah. I remember. I don’t know what he wants to do, but if he asks, I’ll probably say yes.”

‘Okay.”

They were both quiet and lost in thought until Jared said, “What’s going on with Megan?” Sherri began a detailed conversation regarding Megan’s classes. She included information about Jeff and Amanda and their honeymoon. When they finally ran out of things to say to one another, Jared admitted to himself that it was the best phone conversation he had ever had with his mother. There was give and take and open communication. Jared felt relieved instead of tense when he hung up. A huge step in the right direction.

 

He checked to see if he had any messages while he’d been on the phone. Nothing yet. He checked the clock and decided that Jensen should be getting close to the end of his driving time soon. Jared wanted to be ready for bed and snuggled in before getting his phone call. He quickly grabbed a snack of some cheese and an apple. Just as he was finishing he got a text.

_Jensen: I’m at a hotel. Gonna call Dani first. Should be short._

_Jared: Take your time. I’m gonna grab a shower and climb into bed. I’ll stay awake for you._

_Jensen: Okay. I might shower really fast too then. I’ll call when I’m done._

_Jared: Sounds good. Talk soon._

Jared took his phone with him to his bedroom and then started his nighttime routine. Once he had everything completed, he climbed in to bed and settled down. Two busy days and all of the emotion of saying goodbye to Jensen had worn him down. He was spent. He grabbed a book and started reading. Ten minutes later his phone began to ring.

“Jensen!” he yelped into his phone.

“Hey Jay!” Jensen’s voice came through the line. He sounded so tired.

“You okay?” Jared asked, a bit worried.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Just tired. It was a long day.”

“I agree.” Jared laughed. “How was the drive?”

“Good.” Jensen’s smile was evident. “No trouble at all. Made good time.”

“That’s good.” Jared yawned. “So my mom called tonight.”

This started a conversation that lasted quite a while, covering all sorts of topics about the day. Jensen shared his road stories. Jared talked about his conversation with his mom and almost everything they had discussed. He told Jensen about their friends and how sweet they had been after Jensen left.

As they were talking, Gen poked her head into his room. Jared gave her a thumbs up and gestured to the phone. Gen smiled and nodded and made her way to her own room. Jared and Jensen ended up talking for an hour about all sorts of topics before they were both yawning more than talking.

“Okay, Jen.” Jared started. “I guess we’d better say goodnight.”

“Yeah, I guess we should. I have another long day tomorrow.”

“And you need to be alert while driving.” Jared said sleepily. “I need you to make it to Richardson in one piece.”

“I will, babe.” Jensen said softly. “Don’t worry.”

“Keep me posted tomorrow? I’ll be home most of the day.”

“Sure thing.” Jensen paused. “Jared?”

“Yep?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. I miss you.”

“I want to kiss you so badly right now.”

“Jen! I’d like nothing more.” Jared smiled into the phone. “Four weeks!”

“I know. Four weeks.” Jensen yawned again. “Gotta go! Falling asleep.”

“Me too!” Jared yawned. “Sleep well. I love you.”

“I love you.” Jensen answered. “Bye!”

“Bye!”

Jared hung up the phone and slid it under Jensen’s pillow. Then he turned the pillow lengthwise and snuggled it. He could smell Jensen on the pillowcase and took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Jared smiled and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

 

The next day saw Jared beginning to sort through all of the things in his apartment. He began boxing up things to keep and things to donate. He had his bedroom in a mess when Gen poked her head in to check on him. He looked up sheepishly when she made a sound of disgust.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked.

“Starting to sort and pack up stuff.” Jared said apologetically. “I want to be ready when the time comes, and I don’t want to have to rush.”

“Oh!” Gen answered. “Want help?”

“Sure. If you don’t have anything better or more interesting to do.”

“Nah!” she waved her hand at him. “I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

“Thank you, Gen.” Jared said. “I really appreciate everything.”

After about an hour, they had made a lot of progress in the bedroom and decided to move to the living room. Gen put some music on the player and they started trying to sort the music they had accumulated. This part was going to be tough for them. A large portion of the music had been purchased by both of them because they both enjoyed the performer.

“Gen?” Jared asked, getting her attention. “Keep what you want. Jensen said that he and I have some duplicates, so he might have some of that stuff already. Or I can just replace the ones I want later.”

“No, Jare!” Gen ran a hand quickly over her eyes. “I can’t just take your stuff.”

“Why does it feel like we’re breaking up all of the sudden?” Jared asked, smiling.

“I don’t know.” Gen laughed as tears ran down her face. She sniffled loudly and then covered her face with both hands. “Jared! This is hard.”

Jared slid across the floor to her immediately and wrapped his arms around her. He rocked her back and forth for a couple of minutes. He placed a kiss on top of her head and then said, “I wish I could be in two places at once, but I know where I need to be now.”

“I know,” Gen moaned. “I know where you need to be too. Doesn’t make it any less painful.”

“Okay, let’s make three piles of these things. One pile of what you want to keep. One pile of what you don’t want. One pile of things that we aren’t sure about yet. We still have some time to make this work out properly. I’ll take a picture of each pile and forward it to Jensen. He can tell me where the duplicates are.”

“Sounds good.” Genevieve sighed.

“So help me work on the rest of the room. And while we’re at it…,” Jared paused, looking at Genevieve with a twinkle in his eye. “Tell me how things are going for Daneel and Tyson.”

Gen threw her head back and let out a huge laugh. “I was wondering when you were going to ask that question.”

“So?”

“He likes her. He told us last night when she took Jensen’s call that she ‘knocked his socks off.’ I thought I was gonna die laughing.”

“Gen! You didn’t!” Jared looked shocked.

“No! No, of course not. I covered my mouth and made it look like I was happy for him, but Jared. Really?”

“I think it’s sweet!” Jared smiled. “What else did he say?”

“Just the usual stuff about how smart she is and how dedicated. Every time she laughed at something, he grinned like an idiot. He’s got it bad, Jare!”

“Have you and Dani had a chance to get to know each other yet?” Jared wondered.

“Yeah!” Gen’s face lit up with excitement. “She’s really cool. We have a lot of the same interests and have made plans to hang out without the guys this week. I invited her to come out on Wednesday with my girls.”

“Excellent!” Jared said and then asked mischievously, “Did she knock your socks off, too?”

Gen’s laugh filled the room while Jared just smiled back at her. They continued to chat about how things were going for Tyson and Dani and how excited Scott was that they were getting along so well. Apparently, Tyson had some difficulties in the past with a girlfriend who treated him poorly. Scott was hoping this would be the relationship he needed to get his sparkle back. Jared couldn’t help but think how the crappy relationship bug seemed to be going around.

As they decided to break for lunch, Jared got an incoming text from Jensen.

_Jensen: Stopping for lunch. Can you talk?_

_Jared: I miss you. And yes!_

_Jensen: Give me five minutes. Love you!_

_Jared: Done. Love you!_

Jared could feel Gen’s eyes on him as she watched his reaction to his text messages. He felt the goofy smile creep across his face and the happy blush light up his cheeks.

“Looks like your socks got knocked off, too.” Gen giggled.

“Yeah, yeah.” Jared said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Jared took off to his bedroom to await Jensen’s call. Gen’s laughter followed him down the hall, but he didn’t care. He was so happy that Jensen was about to call, he didn’t care about anything else.

 

The rest of the day was spent in similar fashion and eventually it was time for bed again. As he snuggled into bed that evening with his phone, Jared thought about everything that he had accomplished that day. He was pleased that he had made great headway with sorting and packing. He and Gen had loaded up his truck with three boxes full of clothes and stuff that they donated to a local charity. He had more to do, but he felt good about his progress. If this kept up, he’d be able to hit the road a lot faster than he originally thought he would.

When his phone rang, he grinned before answering.

“Hey!” Jared whispered.

“Hey!” Jensen grumbled back.

“You holding up okay?”

“Yeah. Took it easy on myself today. Only drove across Tennessee.”

“Where are you?” Jared asked softly.

“Memphis.” Jensen answered. “Home of Elvis and Blues music.”

“Did you find some barbeque?”

“Yeah. But it isn’t as good as Texas barbeque. The music sounds good though. I walked around Beale Street for a little while just to listen.”

“Mmmm…” Jared hummed. “So what’s better? Nashville or Memphis?”

“Memphis. Absolutely!” Jensen answered quickly. “We’ll have to make a trip here soon. I’d love to explore some more, but want you with me when I do it.”

“Sounds good to me!” Jared replied. “Have you talked to Dani today?”

“No, just last night. Why?”

“What is she saying about Tyson?”

“She really likes him, Jay.” Jensen said. “I haven’t heard her speak about anyone the way she talks about him. Is he a good guy? Do you know anything?”

“Well, I’ll start by telling you that he is crazy over her too.” Jared smiled at Jensen’s “of course” grunt over the phone. “Apparently, he had a rough go not that long ago. Some girl broke his heart. Scott seems excited about Tyson’s attachment to Dani.”

“Well, hopefully it’ll be good for both of them then. We know what it’s like to have bad relationships, don’t we?”

“Yep!” Jared popped his lips. He was quiet for a minute, and then he said, “I think they’re gonna look good together. I’ll let you know. I’m supposed to have dinner with the four of them on Friday night.”

“Oh yeah?” Jensen asked. “Sounds like fun.”

“Eh! We’ll see. It would be a hell of a lot more fun if you were here by my side.”

“Ugh!” Jensen grunted. “Don’t I know it.”

“Are you holding up okay?” Jared asked.

“Yeah. I just miss you like crazy. The stereo in this truck is horrible. It’s a long-ass road full of nothing. And I want you with me, Jay. That’s the bottom line here. I’m lonely, and I want you here!”

“Oh, Jen! I’m sorry, babe.” Jared took a deep breath. “We just need to stay focused and remember what you said before you left. This is a test for us. We can make it through.”

“You’re amazing, Jay.” Jensen whispered. “You always lift me up.”

“You do the same for me.” Jared replied. “Just think. You’ll be home tomorrow and’ll be able to give your mama a big ol’ hug. That’ll be awesome!”

“Yeah, yeah it will.” Jensen sighed.

“And Dani is good here. She and Gen are going out on Wednesday with Gen’s friends. I’ll see all of them on Friday, so I can fill you in on the gossip.” Jared chuckled. “That’ll be fun.”

“I can’t wait to hear about all of that, actually.”

“And you’ll be busy looking for a place to live and a place to work. Plus, you have to get a schedule set up with your brother for working with the kids. You’ll be catching up on all of the family stuff you’ve been missing…”

“Wow!” Jensen laughed. “I will be busy. I guess I won’t miss you after all.”

“Aw man!” Jared pouted. “Too bad you aren’t here. I’d hit you with the patented Padalecki puppy-dog eyes. Then you’d be in trouble!”

“Ooo! I can’t wait to see those!” Jensen chuckled.

They continued to chat and play around for the next forty-five minutes until once again they were yawning more than talking.

“Okay, Jen.” Jared said. “I need to let you go. I have to be a productive member of my team tomorrow at work. And you need to finish this trip safely.”

“Yep. I do. And you do, too.” Jensen agreed. “Looking forward to having you in my arms, Jay. Can’t wait for you to get here.”

“Me too, Jen.” Jared sighed softly. “Me too.”

“Hey!”

“Yep?”

“I love you.”

“I love you.” Jared answered with a huge smile on his face. “I’m gonna send you an email with a couple of pictures attached. Take a look and tell me which CDs you own, please.”

“Sure. No problem.”

“Thank you.”

“Gonna go to sleep now.”

“Okay. Sleep well.”

“Sweet dreams, Jay.”


	10. Chapter Ten

Washington, D.C. area

Monday, May 21st

 

Jared woke up just before his alarm the next morning with a warmth deep in his chest. He pulled Jensen’s pillow toward himself and wrapped both arms around it. He held on to the last vestiges of the dream, for as long as he could, before fully opening his eyes.

He remembered being cuddled up with Jensen on Jensen’s couch. He was sitting in a living room he didn’t recognize but understood was his own. They were watching a football game on Jared’s television, and they each had a beer. Jared remembered that the phone rang and Jensen answered and invited someone to join them. He also remembered feeling content and warm. Just before he pulled out of the dream, Jensen looked him straight in the eye and said, “I’ll never let you go, Jay.”

He felt like this might be another one of his prophetic dreams. He really hoped so because that scene made him feel amazing. He grabbed his phone and immediately sent Jensen a text.

_Jared: I love you. I want you. I need you. Four weeks._

As soon as he pushed send, he hoped Jensen had his sound turned off or was already awake. It was really early in the morning.

Jared made his way into the shower to begin his day. Quick wash, quick breakfast, out the door to head to the office. When he got there, he immediately got to work on the most important aspects of the contracts he was still attached to. He was determined to get his part completed early. If he could clear the decks, he might be able to hit the road earlier than he had anticipated. His biggest motivation was getting to Jensen sooner than the four weeks they were promising each other.

He took his normal lunch break, but instead of going out, he ordered in and continued to clean out his files and his cubicle. Before he left for the day, it was obvious that he wasn’t going to be around much longer. His desk was completely cleaned off except for the equipment owned by the company. All of his personal items were packed in a box by the side of the desk.

He had received a quick text and a brief phone call from Jensen during the day. The phone call was to let Jared know that he had made it to his parents’ house safely. The text was a little more personal.

_Jensen: I miss you. I can’t wait to touch you again. I love you so much and I wish you were here with me._

Jared read that text about four times before closing his phone. He ached to touch Jensen as well.

When he got home, he packed a bit more, gathering everything he wouldn’t need in the upcoming weeks and finding a place for each item. He found another box full of stuff to donate and made sure that was ready to go for later in the week. The box of work stuff was placed under his desk in his room.

After another quick phone call with Jensen before bed, Jared crashed with a plan beginning to hatch in his brain.

 

Tuesday after work, Jared put together a box of goodies for Jensen and dropped it in the mail. He also wrote a letter to Jensen’s mother and sent it to the same address. He hoped that Jensen was not the one to get the mail.

The rest of the week moved slowly forward. Text messages and night time phone calls helped Jared get through the week, but with each passing night it was becoming more difficult to say good bye at the end of their conversations. Now it was usual for Jared to wipe tears from his eyes instead of smile when he hung up the phone. His stress levels were rising.

The apartment was almost completely devoid of his belongings as well. He had continued to whittle down and pack up his belongings throughout the apartment. He was living for the day he could pull away from this town in his own moving truck headed to Jensen. He knew that as soon as his contractual obligations were done, he was going to have to get moving.

By Friday, Jared was frazzled. He was desperate to get on the road. He kept telling himself he could last the three weeks that were left, but he couldn’t make himself believe it. With about an hour left in the day, he popped in to Steve’s office for a minute to update him on the contracts Jared was involved in. When Steve saw Jared’s face, he waved him into the room and pointed at the couch. Jared moved in that direction and slumped onto the sofa and waited for Steve to wrap up his phone call.

“Jared,” Steve said as he hung up the phone. “What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to catch you up on the last two contracts I’m on.”

“Okay, do that first then tell me what’s going on.” Steve said firmly.

“Not sure what you mean.”

“Yes, you do. You look terrible, Jared.” Steve laughed. “I mean that in the best way possible, but it’s true.”

“Huh!” Jared huffed. “Thanks!”

“Talk to me. Everything okay with you and Jensen? Something happen?”

“Everything’s good between us.” Jared smiled at his boss. He sat more forward and looked up at Steve with sadness in his eyes. Steve moved to the couch and sat down. “He’s back in Texas. It’s been almost a week since he left.”

“Okay. But you guys are okay. No bumps or problems?”

“No. It’s just so hard. He’s so far away from me.” Jared looked down at his clenched hands. “Look. I’m not clingy. I’m not desperate. I just…feel like I’m not me.” He huffed out a huge breath and flopped back against the couch. “Do you have to be somewhere? Do you have time to talk with me for a little while?”

“Let me call Franklin really quick.” Steve stood, pulled out his cell phone and made a quick phone call. Jared was lost in thought until Steve called out. “Jared?”

“Yes?”

“Franklin would like to swing by here. He’s my ride today anyway. Is it okay with you if we wait for him? Can he be part of the conversation?”

“Um…” Jared thought for a brief moment. “Actually, I’d appreciate it. Yes.”

Steve finished up his conversation and sat back down. While they waited for Franklin to arrive, Jared filled Steve in on his progress with his contracts. He had minimal work left on both jobs if nothing went wrong. Steve seemed impressed with his work, so that took some pressure off of Jared’s mind.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened, and Franklin looked around the door.

“You guys need anything before I come in? Coffee? Water?” Franklin asked softly.

“Coffee would be lovely.” Steve answered.

“Yeah, coffee sounds great. Thank you!” Jared answered.

“Great! I stopped off and picked some up on the way over.” Franklin said as he pushed the door further open revealing the drink carrier he held in his left hand. Steve laughed and hurried over to help him with both the carrier and his attaché case. “Forgive me, Jared. But this sounded like a ‘family’ problem, so I wanted to be prepared.”

Jared gave him a sad smile and nodded. “Yeah. You could say that.”

After a few minutes of getting everyone settled with the drinks, Steve looked at Jared and said, “We’re here for you, Jared. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Okay. Well, I promised you I would tell you this story one day. You won’t be able to fully understand where I am right now without knowing the background. I don’t know how well this is going to go, but I need you to understand.” He met each man’s eyes briefly and saw nothing but openness and care. Quietly to himself he said, “Okay. Here goes nothing.” Then he began to tell his boss and his future boss the story of his life.

He started with his parents and his brother, moved on to the story of his grandfather and the support he received. He kept it brief and only gave the most important details. When he told them about his grandad’s death, Franklin gasped. Steve patted his hand, and Jared kept going. He talked about coming out and his first boyfriend. When he got to Nathan and that part of his life, he had a lot more information as to why things went the way they did. He made sure to include some of Nathan’s background and Gen’s theory about why Nathan treated Jared the way he did. He only gave brief details on the level of abuse he suffered, but Steve and Franklin were both livid before he finished it. When Jared told them about the repercussions of his decision to allow Nathan to explain Jared’s departure, Franklin stood up and walked away.

“Want me to stop?” Jared asked softly. “I know this is a lot to handle and to hear about all in one go. I’m sorry.”

Franklin whirled around and pinned Jared with an intense look. “Don’t you ever apologize for anything you feel or experience because of that fuck nut,” Franklin stated. “If I could hunt him down, I would.”

“Jared,” Steve said softly, drawing Jared’s attention away from Franklin. “You make the decision about what you want to share. You lived it. We didn’t. Does it make us angry and uncomfortable? Yes. But our discomfort is nothing compared to what you went through. If you could live through it and become the amazing young man sitting here in front of us, we can listen to what you need to tell us. It’s up to you.”

Jared felt tears well up in his eyes and he swallowed. Franklin walked over to Jared and placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder. When Jared looked up at him, Jared could see respect and encouragement in Franklin’s eyes.

“Forgive my outburst, Jared.” Franklin said. “I have my own story to tell. As does Steve. Just know that I’m on your side.”

“Thanks.” Jared answered. Franklin patted his shoulder and moved to sit back down again.

Jared picked up his story with the weeks prior to Jeff’s wedding after briefly talking about the three years he had spent in D.C. trying to get past the pain and all of the other fallout. He told them again about meeting Jensen and about Jensen’s support during the weekend with Jared’s family.

“From the first day we met, I’ve felt like myself with him. I’ve never needed to protect myself or hide who I am. It took me a bit of time to open up after he originally turned me down, but I was just fighting myself. After everything I’ve been through, he is a miracle for me.” Jared paused and ran a hand over his eyes. “When he isn’t here, I feel lost again. Like part of who I am just walked away. I miss him. And phone calls and text messages just don’t do it anymore.”

“And the thought of spending the long weekend without him is gnawing on you right now, right?” Steve asked.

“Well, it hasn’t been easy this week, but having something to focus on here at the office has certainly helped.” Jared answered. He smiled weakly and continued. “Every night this week, I’ve gone home after work and sorted, packed, cleaned, and organized my stuff. I have nothing left in my cubicle here at work. I have nothing left in any rooms in my apartment except what I’m using every day. I’m down to bare bones, so that when the time comes, I can leave quickly.”

“I understand,” Franklin said softly. “It’s so hard to be away from your soulmate.”

“Soulmate?” Jared was shocked.

“Yes, that’s what you’re talking about.” Franklin answered. “The two of you fit. I saw it when you came over for brunch. You haven’t known each other very long, but you are two halves of a whole. You, each of you, complete the other.”

Jared looked at Steve who was nodding along with Franklin’s speech. Steve looked up and met Jared’s eyes.

“When you meet your soulmate, you know.” Steve said, reaching his hand to take Franklin’s. “That day in the museum changed my life. At the beginning, we couldn’t stand to be separated for long. It’s gotten better over the years, but it’s never easy when we can’t go home to each other.”

“Remember the first time we were apart?” Franklin asked, chuckling quietly while looking at Steve. “Ah Jared! It was pathetic.”

“When we met, we felt that tug. We tried to be cool about it. But after three weeks, we knew this was it.” Steve smiled happily. “After four weeks together, I had to travel to New York for business. I left on the Sunday intending to be there until the following Tuesday for meetings. So ten days total.”

“By the Wednesday of the first week, I was miserable.” Franklin picked up. “By the time the Friday rolled around, I was on a plane headed to New York. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I didn’t even tell him I was coming. I just showed up at his hotel room that night.”

“Scared the shit out of me,” Steve laughed. “I thought someone had died!”

“But when I explained what was going on…” Franklin started.

“I admitted that I had been feeling the exact same way.” Steve finished, kissing Franklin on the tip of his nose. “We were both trying so hard to be strong for the other one, that neither one of us had admitted to what was really going on.”

Jared nodded. “Yeah, I haven’t told Jensen how bad it is.”

“And chances are he hasn’t told you either. And that’s okay.” Franklin said. “Jared, I want you to understand a couple of things here.”

“Okay. I’m listening.” Jared said looking into Franklin’s face.

“First thing is Steve and I have your back. You are family to us, and we are here for you.” Steve nodded in agreement. “The second thing is that you will make it through this. I know that right now it doesn’t feel like it, but you will.”

Jared’s eyes filled and he looked away blinking. Quietly he asked, “Why? Why would you do that?”

“Do what?” Franklin asked reaching out to Jared.

“Why would you want me in your family? Why would you add me to your family?”

“Oh, Jared!” Steve said softly. “I know that you are still recovering from everything you went through, and it’s hard for you to trust. And it’s hard for you to see yourself with any clarity. But you trusted us by telling us your story. You trusted us by taking a job from us without knowing what tomorrow would bring. Beyond that you are intelligent, funny, sweet, caring, and a truly lovable person. There is absolutely no question about you being a part of our family. That’s one of the best things about being an adult, y’know. Being able to assemble your own family instead of only relying on the one you were born into.”

“And you and Jensen together are truly magical.” Franklin added. “And I love magic!”

Jared grinned. “Thank you, guys!”

“Now. What is keeping you here?” Steve asked.

“This job and my apartment.” Jared answered immediately.

“When can you finish up the two contracts you are working on? Tuesday?” Steve asked again.

“Tuesday. Wednesday afternoon at the latest.” Jared answered.

“Okay. What’s keeping you in your apartment?” Franklin asked.

“I told my roommate that I would stay until June ninth. Our lease is up on August fourth and we’re trying to find someone to take my room for the last two months.”

“Well, that’s doable.” Franklin nodded. “Do you have something to keep you occupied this weekend?”

“Well, tonight I’m supposed to be meeting some friends for dinner and then we’re going to see another friend’s band play. After that I’ve got nothing. I was supposed to be working on packing my apartment, but that’s already done.” Jared smiled somewhat sheepishly.

“Well, go out with your friends and try to have a good time. I’ll send you a text with a time and place to meet up with us on Saturday.” Franklin said with a smile.

“And we can change your last day of work to Wednesday, Tuesday if you finish. There is no reason for you to continue working here if you aren’t on a contract. You can take some of your personal days to finish out the week. That will not change the number of vacation days we have to pay you for, so you won’t lose any of your buffer.” Steve offered.

“Wow!” Jared breathed. “Thank you both. So much. You keep helping me, and I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve it.”

“Please, don’t worry about it.” Steve said. “Now go home! Have some fun! And please tell Jensen that we said hello.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will.” Jared said. He stood and made his way to the door. He smiled at both men before he left, then shut the door behind him. Once outside Steve’s office, Jared shook his head in disbelief. He had no idea what he had done to gain the support of the two men inside that office, but he was damn glad to have it.

 

_Jared: Fixing to head out with Gen, Dani and the guys in about an hour. Please call when you can._

_Jensen: Give me five minutes. Talking to mom._

Five minutes later the phone rang. Jared smiled to see Jensen’s number.

“Hey!” Jared answered.

“Hey there!” Jensen laughed. “It’s so good to hear your voice.”

“Yours too. How was your day today?”

“Pretty good. Went apartment hunting. I have my eye on one in particular.”

“Oh yeah? That’s awesome.” Jared was grinning. “Any job offers yet?”

“Yeah, actually I did get one today. I told them I’d think about it over the weekend and let them know.” Jensen launched into a discussion of the pros and cons of the offered job and then the plusses and minuses of the apartment he was considering. They continued chatting about a variety of subjects until it was time for Jared to head out.

“Jen? I need to go.” Jared said softly. “I don’t want to.”

“It’s okay.” Jensen answered. “I understand. I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too. This is so hard.”

“I know. But we’re down to three weeks now. We made it through week one already.”

Jared scoffed and then said, “Yeah, I’m still here.”

“Not for much longer. Just keep holding on. I love you and you’ll be in my arms before you know it.”

“Okay, Jen. I love you too.”

“Keep your chin up.”

“You too.”

 

“Jared?” Gen called from across the table. Jared shook his head to clear it from the sad thoughts that were running through it and looked at her.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Nope.” Jared said, leaning forward.

“I said that Tyson has a proposition for you.” Gen laughed. “Where are you tonight?”

“In Richardson.” Jared answered matter-of-factly.

“Well, come back here for a minute. This is serious.” She reached across the table and laid her hand along his cheek. “Tyson has a great idea!”

Jared turned to Tyson and raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah!” Tyson started. “As you know, I just got here from Atlanta. I’m in one of those corporate hotel apartment things. I hate it!” He paused. “They told me I could stay there for a total of four weeks, and then I’d have to move somewhere else. I’ve been there for two already and I haven’t had much luck.”

Jared nodded and tried to keep from getting too excited.

“I thought…” Tyson started again. “I thought I could take over your lease and finish it out for you. That gives me more time to find something I like while getting me out of that awful room I’m in now.”

Jared’s smile could light the room. “How soon would you like to move in? I think I could be out as early as Thursday morning.”

Gen’s mouth dropped open in shock. Jared instantly felt guilty about not preparing her for that particular bombshell. He turned toward her and said, “I’m sorry, Gen.”

Tyson looked back and forth between them and said, “I’m sorry. Did I just cause a problem?”

“No, not at all.” Jared answered. “I just made a decision earlier today about leaving sooner than I had planned, and I forgot to tell Gen about it. That’s entirely my fault.”

“Okay. Umm…” Tyson looked uncomfortable for a minute. He glanced at Gen and then said, “I’d like to see the place before I make any formal commitments, but from what Scott told me it’s just a formality anyway. It sounds like a great place and a perfect location.”

“As long as Gen’s fine with it, she has to live with you.” Jared laughed.

“No, I don’t!” Gen said. “Scott already told me that he wants me out if Tyson moves in.”

“Hey!” Tyson laughed. Scott grinned widely and patted his friend on the shoulder.

“No one needs to listen to that snoring, man.” Scott laughed.

Jared caught Dani’s face out of the corner of his eye and detected a slight blush on her cheeks after that comment. He smiled and didn’t say anything. He’d have to ask Jensen about that development.

 “Shows what you know! I had surgery to fix that.” Tyson responded. “I actually have a friend in my company who will be moving up here in the next few weeks. He could probably take over Genevieve’s side of the apartment. That way you can have your blushing bride all to yourself!”

“Works for me!” Scott responded.

They made plans for Tyson to swing by the next morning to have a look at the space and location. Jared was excited to have an opportunity to move faster than expected. He wanted to keep it a secret from Jensen though. He thought a surprise would be an excellent idea. When he got a chance he slid over to Daneel and ran the idea by her.

“Yeah!” Daneel answered. “That sounds excellent! He’s really missing you, Jared.”

“I’m, uh, I’m really missing him, too. I never expected this to be as difficult as it’s been this week. I’m barely holding it together if I’m honest.” Jared ran a hand over his face. Daneel put a hand on his arm and squeezed for a second.

“Jared. I have to be honest with you here.” Daneel started. Jared took a deep breath and waited for the rejection he was sure was to follow. “When he first told me to give you back your money, I thought he had lost his mind.” Jared looked away quickly and tried not to flinch. “But I was wrong.” Jared looked back at her with wide eyes. “I knew when you first walked into my office with Genevieve that you had been hurt very badly by someone. So when he told me about the money, I was scared for him. I thought he was getting into something without knowing the details.”

“Well, technically, he did.” Jared said.

“Yeah, that’s true, I guess.” Daneel said. “I mean, he told me later that you shared your story with him after he returned the money, but he had already met you before that weekend. I didn’t know that.” She paused before saying, “I don’t know your whole story. Jensen hasn’t told me anything. What I know comes from Genevieve.” Daneel paused again and then leaned into Jared’s side. “I’m sorry that you had to go through everything that you did. Jensen will never treat you like that. He’s a good egg.”

“I know that, but thank you for saying it.” Jared answered. “I miss him so much, Daneel.”

“I do too.” She answered sadly. “I’m so glad that the two of you found each other. He deserves someone who will appreciate everything that he is. He has so much to give, Jared. He’s my very best friend in the entire world, and I love him so much.”

Jared wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let her lean into him again. Jared leaned in close and said, “You have amazing taste in friends, Daneel. I promise that I’ll take the very best care of him.”

“I know you will.” She answered tearfully. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Jared brushed a quick kiss to her cheek and then whispered. “How are things going with Tyson?” Daneel blushed quickly and brilliantly and then Jared said, “That good, huh?” She just nodded without saying a word and Jared grinned, giving her a squeeze with his arm. “I’m glad. He seems like a good egg, too.”

The rest of the night was fun and comfortable. Jared was included in the conversations around the group and had a great time. He kept an eye on Dani and Tyson to see how things were going and was very happy with what he saw. Before he went to bed that night he sent Jensen a quick text.

_Jared: Dani and Tyson are a go! They are so sweet together!_


	11. Chapter 11

Friday, May 19th

 

After Jensen left his friends in the parking lot, he started his drive through western Virginia on his way to Knoxville. He looked around and appreciated all of the trees and mountainous countryside he was passing along the way because he knew that before too long he wouldn’t be surrounded by trees taller than the sky anymore. When he passed through the National Forests, he rolled the windows down in order to breathe in the clean air. The truck was fighting him up the mountains, but as the road fell away underneath him, it picked up speed and made up a little bit of ground. It was especially difficult with the car trailer dragging behind him. The radio stations kept fading out with every new twist and dip in the road, and he finally just gave up on the prospect.

He began to wonder how Jared was doing. He was trying to avoid letting his mind go there, but now that there wasn’t much to distract him, his mind brought up the picture of Jared standing in the parking lot watching him drive away. He looked so strong, keeping his chin up for Jensen. But Jensen could also read the pain on his face.

“Ugh!” Jensen fussed. “This is so unfair.” He hit the steering wheel with his hand in frustration. “Why did I decide to leave?” he asked the sky above him.

He tried to shake the image of Jared’s sad eyes watching him. Those gorgeous multi-colored eyes of his. Jensen could sit and watch them for hours and never get tired of it.

“Four weeks.” He muttered to himself. “Just four weeks and I’ll have him back.”

Throughout the day, any time Jensen stopped, he tried to send Jared a text to let him know where he was. Coverage in the mountains was spotty at best, and he never got a single text through. He would just have to find a hotel that had decent coverage that night to be sure he could communicate.

As he continued to drive, Jensen found himself thinking of the future and where he wanted to be six weeks from now. He wanted to be gainfully employed. He wanted to have a good sized two, maybe three, bedroom apartment with a decent kitchen. He wanted to be involved with the Ackles Foundation in a meaningful way. But the thing he wanted most right now was to have Jared by his side all the time. He wanted Jared firmly situated in that apartment with him. He wanted Jared happy and secure. He wanted to completely be himself and have Jared feel free enough to be completely himself as well. If he was totally honest with himself, the only thing in all of that he really wanted was Jared.

When the signs for Tennessee began to show up, Jensen found himself really pushing the truck. He wanted to be there already. He wanted to be able to hear Jared’s voice. Once he hit Knoxville, he found the first decent chain hotel he could find and pulled into the parking lot. After almost eight hours behind the wheel along with loading up the truck that morning, he was spent. He needed food, a beer, some sleep and Jared. Definitely not in that order.

 

As Jensen made his way back to his room with a full belly and three bottles of water, he sent a quick text to Daneel letting her know that he was settling in. He immediately got one back from her.

_Jensen: I’m at a stopping point. Just ate. Heading to my room._

_Daneel: Call me if you can. Need to talk to you._

Jensen tilted his head to the side to contemplate that text. Dani needed him, so he shot a quick text to Jared to let him know what was going on.

_Jensen: I’m at a hotel. Gonna call Dani first. Should be short._

_Jared: Take your time. I’m gonna grab a shower and climb into bed. I’ll stay awake for you._

_Jensen: Okay. I might shower really fast too then. I’ll call when I’m done._

_Jared: Sounds good. Talk soon._

That certainly made him feel more at ease. He would call Daneel and then grab a shower before settling in to call Jared. Easy enough.

As soon as he got out of the elevator, he pressed Dani’s number. He listened to the ring as he walked toward his room. As he was juggling the room key, the phone and his water bottles, Dani answered.

“Jens!” she sounded happy.

“Hey Dani! What’s up? Your text sounded urgent.” Jensen said as he pushed his door open.

“Um…hold on a second!” Jensen could hear muffled sounds and then a chair scraping across the floor. He heard laughter and music and then it got quieter. “Hey! I went outside so I could hear you.”

“What’s going on, Dani?” Jensen sat his stuff down on a nightstand and started kicking off his shoes. He grabbed a water bottle and made his way to the comfy looking chair on the other side of the room.

“Jensen. First I want to apologize to you for fighting you on giving Jared back his money. I spent a couple of hours with him after you left today. He’s an amazing man, Jensen.”

“I know, Dani. But thank you for saying that.” Jensen answered.

“He really loves you. Every time he spoke about something you said or did, he eyes just shone. I’m really happy for you.”

“I love him too. He’s really special.”

“I get that. I do. I thought he was something special when I first met him or I never would have sent you to San Antonio with him, but now I… I’m so happy for you.” Daneel paused, and Jensen could hear her take a deep breath. “Anyway, I don’t want to keep you. I just wanted you to know that you and Jared have my full support. He’s perfect for you in a lifelong bond sort of way.” When Jensen was quiet, Daneel asked. “You okay?”

“Not really, no.” Jensen said softly. “It’s been a long day. And I’m tired. And I’m alone.”

“Jensen, babe. No matter where you are, you’re not alone. Jared is with you even if he isn’t physically by your side. I’m telling you…” Dani stopped and swallowed. “I…I’m so blown away by him.”

“Thanks.” Jensen wiped his face with his hand and reached for his water. He huffed a breath and then said, “Okay. Tell me about Tyson.”

For the next five minutes Daneel rattled on about how wonderful Tyson was and how thoughtful and handsome, etc. Jensen began to smile at the excitement he heard in Dani’s voice. He could see the start of something good for her, and he was so happy for her. They finished up their conversation quickly after that, and Jensen jumped in the shower.

He settled into the bed when he was done and called Jared.

“Jensen!” Jared answered excitedly.

“Hey Jay!” Jensen responded.

“You okay?” Jared asked, sounding a little worried.

“Yeah, yeah.” Jensen huffed out a breath. “I’m fine. Just tired. It was a long day.”

“I agree.” Jared laughed. “How was the drive?”

“Good.” Jensen smiled into the phone for hearing Jared’s laugh. “No trouble at all. Made good time.”

“That’s good.” Jared yawned. “So my mom called tonight.”

“Oh yeah?” Jensen asked. “Isn’t that out of the ordinary?”

“Definitely. But she told me that she wants to be more involved in my life. She wants to be included.”

“That’s a good start, isn’t it?” Jensen was pleased to hear that Sherri was trying to make a first step. It seemed that she was serious about trying to be a better parent for Jared.

“Yeah.” Jared sounded wistful. “She told me that I’m more myself when I’m with you. I agree with her.”

“Mmm,” Jensen hummed. “That’s a very nice thing to say. At least from my perspective.”

Jared chuckled. “I figured you’d like that one.” Jared paused and then said, “I told her that I was happy she wanted to be in my life more, but that I wouldn’t be seeking their advice much or asking their permission for things. I told her that I have been on my own for too many years now to go back.”

“Wow!” Jensen huffed. “How did she take that?”

“She sounded sad, but agreed with what I said. So that’s good. I think she understands.” Jared sighed.

Their conversation continued after that until they were both too tired to continue. After their I-love-yous, they said goodnight. Jensen shut his phone off completely, turned his light off, and fell into a deep sleep.

 

When Jensen got rolling the next morning, he grabbed a light breakfast with the intentions of stopping in Nashville for lunch. After such a long day the day before, Jensen planned to give himself an easier day. He got a bit of a late start in order to grab a little more sleep. The road involved much less up and down on this leg of the trip, so the trip itself should be less stressful. He also had better access to radio stations, but most of them featured country music.

As he pulled in to Nashville after about three hours of driving, he looked for a local restaurant in order to get a bit of Nashville flavor. Before he got out of the truck, he checked his phone for messages. That’s when he realized that he never turned it back on that morning. It was fully charged though, so that was a good thing. He debated on whether he was hungrier or wanted to talk with Jared more. He figured he’d better eat first, so there would be no distractions from his conversation.

After a very satisfying lunch of hot chicken with pickles and white bread, Jensen shot a quick text to Jared.

_Jensen: Stopping for lunch. Can you talk?_

_Jared: I miss you. And yes!_

_Jensen: Give me five minutes. Love you!_

_Jared: Done. Love you!_

He stopped by the bathroom on the way out and made sure his fingers were clean. The last thing he needed was to get that spicy stuff in his eyes. He decided to walk a little bit while he talked with Jared. It would be a good chance to take in more of the city while getting a bit of exercise. When he left the restaurant, he turned left and headed down the street.

“Hey, Jen!” Jared’s voice rang down the line.

“Hey yourself!” Jensen answered.

“How are you doing today?”

“I’m good. I’m walking through Nashville at the moment. Taking in the sights of Music City. Wishing you were here holding my hand, though.”

“I’d love to be there by your side.” Jared whispered. He cleared his throat and asked, “What was for lunch?” The conversation rolled forward as Jensen described the food and the sights he was experiencing as he walked the streets. He asked what Jared was doing and was told about the sorting and packing process. They ended their call when Jared’s stomach started growling loud enough for Jensen to hear it. He chuckled as they said their goodbyes and promised to call when he got settled that night.

 

After making it to another hotel, this one in Memphis, Jensen got checked in and then called for a cab to take him to Beale Street. He wanted to get a feel for the street where the Blues were built. He walked up and down for a bit, located the place where Elvis bought his suits, stood outside the house of W.C. Handy and then ended up standing in Handy Park to people watch for a while. There was a permanent stage set up in the park, and Jensen found himself wanting to play there one day.

He ended up walking up and down the street again looking for the Walk of Fame Brass Notes for famous blues musicians. Everywhere he went on Beale Street he was surrounded by music. As the sun set, the street got more and more full. He ended up finding Brass Notes for Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Pressley, and B.B. King before heading toward one of the barbeque shops to grab some dinner then catching a cab back to the hotel. He found a shop that made excellent pulled pork sandwiches and had one of those with some French Fries and Onion Rings. He also ordered a beer to wash it all down. He fooled himself into believing he was having a good time until he saw a young couple on the street outside, holding hands and leaning into one another. In an instant his mood plummeted, and he was ready to just go back to the hotel.

 

After he got situated in his room and had taken his shower, he called Jared. He sat at the desk with his bare feet kicked up on the end of the bed while he waited for Jared to answer.

“Hey!” Jared whispered when he answered the phone.

“Hey!” Jensen grumbled back, trying not to sound as sad as he was.

“You holding up okay?” Jared asked softly. Jensen could tell that Jared was laying in his bed.

“Yeah. Took it easy on myself today. Only drove across Tennessee.”

“Where are you?” Jared asked.

“Memphis. Home of Elvis and Blues music.”

“Did you find some barbeque?”

“Yeah. But it isn’t as good as Texas barbeque. The music sounds good though. I walked around Beale Street for a little while just to listen.”

“Mmmm…” Jared hummed. Jensen’s belly warmed to hear that rumble coming from Jared. “So what’s better? Nashville or Memphis?”

“Memphis. Absolutely!” Jensen answered quickly. He thought about the couple he saw on Beale Street and said, “We’ll have to make a trip here soon. I’d love to explore some more, but want you with me when I do it.”

“Sounds good to me!” Jared replied. “Have you talked to Dani today?”

As they chatted about Daneel and Tyson, Jensen allowed Jared’s voice and excitement to wash over him. He needed to just immerse himself in their connection for a bit. It was a healing balm on his soul.

Then Jared was asking, “Are you holding up okay?”

Jensen figured that he needed to be as honest as possible here. “Yeah. I just miss you like crazy. The stereo in this truck is horrible. It’s a long-ass road full of nothing. And I want you with me, Jay. That’s the bottom line here. I’m lonely, and I want you here!” He felt better letting that out.

“Oh, Jen! I’m sorry, babe.” Jared took a deep breath. “We just need to stay focused and remember what you said before you left. This is a test for us. We can make it through.”

“You’re amazing, Jay,” Jensen whispered. “You always lift me up.”

“You do the same for me.” Jared replied. “Just think! You’ll be home tomorrow and’ll be able to give your mama a big ol’ hug. That’ll be awesome!”

Once again, Jensen floated through his end of the conversation just letting Jared’s basic essence wash over him. He found himself feeling better with each word from Jared. Their conversation turned playful and light. It seemed that Jared knew exactly what Jensen needed even from this distance. Jensen was thankful.

They said their goodnights and Jensen hung up the phone. He grabbed his book from his suitcase and fluffed some pillows before cozying in for the night. As he tried to read, his mind wandered to his conversation with Jared, and he began imagining what Jared would have looked like as he spoke. Before long, Jensen was drifting off to sleep with the light still on while picturing Jared’s beautiful eyes.

 

When he woke up in the middle of the night, he was disoriented and confused. He sat up quickly and looked around. He could have sworn that he was with Jared in his apartment, but reality quickly became apparent. He was still in his lonely hotel room in Memphis. He made a quick trip to the bathroom, turned the light and his phone off and climbed back in bed, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of being in the wrong place.

 

Jensen made his way to the oldest diner in Memphis the next morning and enjoyed a filling and delicious breakfast before checking out of his hotel room. As he made his way to the truck, he switched his phone back on and got ready to call his mom to let her know when to expect him. Before he pressed the call button, his text alert sounded. When he read what Jared had sent him earlier that morning, tears filled his eyes. He was tempted to turn around and drive straight back to Fairfax in order to wrap his arms around his boyfriend and never let go.

_Jared: I love you. I want you. I need you. Four weeks._

He slumped against the door of his truck and allowed the wave of sadness to wash over him. His shoulders shook as he sobbed. He just let everything go and allowed himself to feel everything. He was beginning to settle again when he heard someone walking in his direction. When he looked up, he saw a tiny, elderly woman with rich, dark skin moving in his direction. He quickly wiped his eyes and tried to get his breathing under control.

“No, no, sweetie! Don’t do that on my account.” She said as she moved even closer. “Don’t hide your feelings from me. It’s okay.”

Jensen felt the tears welling up again as she patted his forearm gently with her weathered hand. He used his other hand to wipe his face off as he looked up to the sky. He took a deep breath and looked at the woman.

“Now, what’s going on to make you so distraught?” the lady asked.

“Huh!” Jensen grunted. “I guess it all comes down to love, ma’am.”

“Don’t it always?” the lady answered. Her dark hand patted his arm again. “My name is Maybelle Masters. You can call me Ms. Maybelle. Now, talk to me. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jensen said and tried to smile.

“Now, c’mon sweetie. Talk to Ms. Maybelle.”

Jensen smiled again and said, “I don’t want to shock you, Ms. Maybelle. But I’m in love with a man. And he loves me back. So much.” Ms. Maybelle squeezed his arm and nodded. “But I’m on my way to Texas, and he’s back in D.C.”

“Sweetie, love is love. It don’t matter what you look like or how your parts fit together.” Ms. Maybelle smiled a knowing smile when Jensen blew out a surprised laugh. “So why are you halfway across the country from your special someone?”

“It’s a long story, Ms. Maybelle. I don’t want to take up your time.”

“Aw, sweetie! All I got is time these days.” She grinned up at him. “Walk me to that bench over there and let me sit, and you and me will figure this out, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jensen offered his arm for Ms. Maybelle to use as he walked with her over to the indicated bench. “My name is Jensen, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Jensen. That’s a good name.”

They settled on the bench side-by-side, and Jensen heaved a heavy sigh. Ms. Maybelle picked up his hand and held it between her own. She turned toward him a little bit and sat quietly, waiting for him to share what he needed to share.

“Okay.” Jensen huffed out breath. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. Didn’t date. Didn’t make a lot of friends. Just… I was very unhappy in D.C. where I’ve been living for the last seven years. So a couple of months ago I made the decision to move back to Texas. That’s where I grew up. I made all the necessary arrangements, turned in my notice at work and at my apartment building. I had two weeks left to work and a bit longer on my lease. That’s when I met Jay. At a diner of all places. A completely random meeting.” Jensen heaved another heavy sigh. “He was perfect. And I walked away from him.”

“Oh sweetie!” soothed Ms. Maybelle. “I know there’s more, but that hurts right there, don’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jensen said softly.

“I can feel it in you.” Ms. Maybelle said. “You need to forgive yourself for that one. I’m sure your Jay has already let that go.”

“Well, he said he did, but I feel so bad about it.”

“I know, baby.” She patted his hand. “But you won’t be able to move on if you don’t let that go. You guys made it work, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I mean...I felt bad about walking away, and I swore that if I ran into him again, I wouldn’t let him go. I wanted it so bad.”

“So you guys met again?” she asked with wonder in her voice.

“Again, strange circumstances, but yeah. We spent a lot of time together and got to know each other, but there was no way I could stop this change from happening.” Jensen paused and cleared his throat as tears welled up in his eyes again. In a small voice, he asked, “I had to go, didn’t I?”

“Yes. You did.” Ms. Maybelle said firmly. She reached up to Jensen’s chin where it had dropped onto his chest as tears streaked his face. She lifted his face and turned it, so she could look into his eyes. “You ain’t walkin’ away from him, are you?” Jensen shook his head. “No. You’re not. You’re goin’ ahead to set up housekeepin’. That’s what you’re s’posed to do, Jensen.”

“But it hurts, Ms. Maybelle.”

“Well, of course it does. Being away from the one you love isn’t supposed to be easy. If you love someone, you want to be together.” Ms. Maybelle patted his chest right over his heart. “He’s going to join you as soon as he can.”

“Yes, ma’am. In four weeks.” Jensen said and smiled sadly. “He’s planning to head my way in four weeks.”

“Well, we’ll see about that.” Ms. Maybelle winked at Jensen and gave him a big smile. “Jensen, your Jay is missin’ you as much as you’re missin’ him. He knows that you din’t leave him. He knows that you ain’t walkin’ away.” She held his hand between her own again and very softly said, “Things are fallin’ into place for you two, but you have to _earn_ it. Somethin’ this strong and everlastin’ goes to those who are worthy. Stay strong and hold on and you will have everything.”

Jensen’s eyes got wider as he listened to her speak. He felt a shiver run down his spine as she reached up with one finger and touched his cheek.

“You are a good boy, Jensen. You take care of those you love. And those who need you. You and your Jay are gonna be just fine.” She smiled at him and tilted her head in his direction. “Now. Go call your mama. She’s wonderin’ where you at.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jensen said, voice full of wonder.

“And when you see your Jay, hold him close and don’t let him go.”

“No, ma’am. I just gotta stay strong for the next four weeks, and then I won’t let him go ever again.”

“It ain’t gonna take that long, sweet boy. You don’t have to work _that_ hard to earn it.” Ms. Maybelle poked him in the ribs and chuckled. “Now go! Take care of yourself!”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jensen smiled at her. “Thank you so much.”

He leaned in and gave a quick kiss to her papery cheek. She squeezed his hand before letting him go. He stood up and began to make his way to his truck. When he turned to look back, he was half surprised to see that she was still sitting in the same spot. He had almost expected that she would have disappeared when he wasn’t looking. He shook his head and huffed a laugh. Just before he unlocked the door to climb in, he heard someone calling for their Gramma. He turned to look back at his new friend to see a grown man walking in her direction. He paused to listen to the conversation.

“Gramma! We have been lookin’ all over for you! What are you doin’ out here?”

“I came down to talk to a friend who needed some reassurance,” Ms. Maybelle told the man.

“What friend? We don’t know anyone here,” the man said as he sat down next to his Gramma.

Jensen chuckled and climbed into the truck. He rolled his window down and started up the truck. As he got close to the pair, he called out, “Thank you, Ms. Maybelle! Be good!”

Ms. Maybelle gave a little wave and a chuckle as her grandson’s mouth dropped open. Jensen smiled a carefree smile and headed back to the road.

 

He managed to call his mom at the first rest stop to give her an idea of when he would be rolling in. She told him to head straight to the ranch. The family had managed to clear out some space in one of the barns for his bigger furniture and stuff, so he wouldn’t have to pay for storage. He was grateful for the help and focused on driving across Arkansas.

By the time he stopped for lunch, he realized that he hadn’t answered Jared’s morning text. He grinned as he thought about his friend Ms. Maybelle and everything that she told him. It was a strange encounter, but it was also very encouraging and helped him begin to forgive himself. He still wondered what she meant by Jared coming when he could or whatever.

He made sure to send Jared a quick text before leaving the KFC where he had stopped for lunch.

_Jensen: I miss you. I can’t wait to touch you again. I love you so much and I wish you were here with me._

He smiled as he placed his phone next to his leg and pulled away for the last leg of the trip.

 

As he pulled into the driveway of the family ranch, he was overcome with a wide array of emotions. He pulled to the side and put the truck in park. As he rolled the windows down and took a lungful of Texas air, he looked out over the land that his grandfather had worked so hard to maintain and hold onto. In the distance, he could see the old oak tree that he, Josh and their dad had built a treehouse in one summer. He smiled with the memory and took a minute to just breathe. He leaned his head back against the head rest and looked out the windshield toward the homestead.

He quickly dialed Jared’s number and waited for him to pick up.

“Are you there?” Jared asked as soon as the call connected.

“Yes. I’m at the ranch. I’m sitting in the driveway looking at the land.” Jensen answered.

“Have you seen anyone yet?” Jared asked with amusement in his voice.

“Nope.”

“Jensen!” Jared laughed. “Go tell them you’re there! Call me later!”

“I will. I just wanted to let you know I’m here. And that I miss you. And that I love you. And that I can’t wait to see you. And that I don’t feel right without you beside me anymore.”

“Jensen,” Jared whispered. “I love you too. Thank you for letting me know that you’re safe.” Jared cleared his throat, but Jensen could hear the extra wetness in his voice. “I miss you. I can’t wait to see those beautiful apple-green eyes and see those adorable freckles again. I don’t feel right without you either.”

“Okay. I’m gonna go up the drive now.”

“You do that.”

“And I’m gonna see my brother and my parents.”

“Yep.”

“And I’m gonna call you later tonight.”

“That’s the plan.” Jared laughed. “Love you, babe.”

“Love you, Jay!”

As soon as he hung up, he dropped the truck into gear and continued up the drive and took a good look at the farmhouse in the distance. It was a huge, white, two story, traditional farmhouse with an enormous porch that wrapped around all four sides with three wide steps that led up to the porch. The stables and the barn were off in the distance on the right side of the house. On the left side, set back away from the house, was a large bunk house that had been built since the last time Jensen had been here. Jensen figured that was where some of the kids were staying. He followed the road that led down to the barn and found a place to park.

As soon as the engine shut off, he could hear his mama’s voice calling his name. He opened the truck and looked back toward the house to see her standing on the porch waving at him. He raised a hand in return and then stretched his back. Donna made her way down the steps to meet Jensen on his way up the yard.

“Jensen, baby! Come and give me a hug!” Donna called out on her way.

“On the way!” Jensen smiled at his mother’s excitement. As soon as he could he wrapped both arms around her and squeezed. She laughed and squeezed back. He kissed her on her head and put his cheek on top of it to hold it in place. She giggled into his chest and then smacked him on the butt.

“Now let go of me and let me look at you!” she laughed and pushed.

“Alright, alright! Stop being so pushy, woman!” Jensen laughed and looked at her.

“Oh, baby!” Donna reached up and placed one hand on Jensen’s cheek. “You look good, but you look sad. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Mama!” Jensen huffed a sigh. “Everything’s fine. Just tired, I guess.”

“Alright, I’ll let it go. We’ll talk later.” She wrapped an arm around him, and they headed to the house.

 

The reunion with his dad and brother was a pleasant experience. His dad was a man of few words, so a simple hug and a “glad to see you” felt amazing from him. Josh showed his excitement by wrapping his arm around Jensen and not letting go for about ten minutes. He kept patting different parts of Jensen. It was as if he was reassuring himself that Jensen was actually there. It eventually brought tears to Jensen’s eyes.

After a nice cup of coffee and a chance to reacquaint themselves, the guys started unloading the heavier pieces from the truck. Once that was finished, they headed to his parents’ house to unload the rest. A quick trip to turn in the truck and the trailer, and Jensen finally got to settle on his Mama’s couch. She had held dinner until it was all completed. She had happily made one of Jensen’s favorite dishes, and he was looking forward to getting a plate full of King Ranch Chicken.

Conversation was comfortable but limited over dinner and into the evening. Jensen was tired from the travel and the moving, so he wasn’t up for a lot of talking. His mom read that and let him be. As Jensen got up to excuse himself for bed, his mother caught his hand.

“I know something is bothering you, Jens.” Donna was looking up into her middle child’s face. “When you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen.”

“I know, Mama. It’ll happen. I’m just tired tonight.”

“Okay. Sleep well. Tell your Jared I said hello.” She smiled up at Jensen.

“I will. Thanks!” He smiled in return and headed up to his room.

 

After getting a quick shower and settling in, Jensen called Jared.

“Hey!” Jared answered. He sounded so tired.

“Hey!” Jensen pulled the extra pillow onto his chest and wrapped his arm around it. He suddenly realized that he had nothing in this room that smelled like Jared. He took a heavy breath.

“You okay?” Jared asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Long day.” He yawned suddenly. “Would you do me a favor?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Please don’t think I’m weird.”

“Never. What do you need?”

“Would you wear a shirt for a day and then send it to me?” Jared’s warm laughter floated through the speaker. “Don’t do anything different from what you would normally do. Just wear the shirt and then send it to me?”

“Of course, text me the address, so I know where to send it.” Jared said happily. Then he said more quietly, “Your pillow still smells like you. I get it.”

Jensen huffed out a breath and then grinned. “Figured you would.”

“Would it be okay if we made this a short call tonight? I’m really tired. Had a long day. I know you did too, so I don’t wanna keep you up.” Jared said.

Jensen could hear the truth of Jared’s words in his voice. “Anything I can help you with? Your long day?”

“Not really, Jen.” Jared yawned. “I’m just trying to finish up these projects at work and then packing and sorting when I got home.”

“Okay.” Jensen answered. “I can agree to that.”

“I love you.”

“Love you, too. Mama says hi.”

“Please give her a hug from me. Tell her I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Will do.”


	12. Chapter Twelve

Tuesday, May 22nd

 

Donna gave Jensen the list she had made of potential job openings in the area as well as a list of apartments with openings. She had circled one of each and attached a post-it-note that said “try these first.” He took a look at the addresses and found them on the map his mom had given him. He smiled when he realized that the apartment and the job were within easy walking distance from one another, and they were in a part of town that was full of younger professionals. She knew him so well.

Then Jensen spent some time in front of his laptop researching the company she had recommended. They seemed to be a strong choice, and they were advertising open positions. It seemed they were growing in the area and needed more therapists. He brushed up his resume and sent it off with a hope that he would get a call. Next he researched the apartment complex. He looked at some floor plans online to see what was available, but it was so hard to tell much from those things. He decided he would have to go in person and have a look.

After a quick lunch, Jensen headed into town to find the apartment complex. There was an attached parking garage with spaces for visitors, so it was very easy to get to. He entered the office to find a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties behind the counter. She smiled and made eye contact immediately upon his entrance to the office. He smiled in return.

“Welcome to The Falls!” She said happily. “How can I help you today?”

“I’m looking for a two-bedroom apartment for myself and my partner. I was interested in one of your two story units. I think you have a couple coming open toward the end of the month.” Jensen said.

“Oh, yes. We actually will have four just after the end of the month. It will just depend upon how quickly you’ll be needing it.” She moved around the desk and began walking toward a map on the far wall. “I can show you locations and dates if you would like?”

“That would be great! Thanks!”

The woman, who introduced herself as Mary, began to explain the different floorplans that were available and where they were located on the property. She also explained that with a two-bedroom apartment, the tenant would get two assigned parking spaces in the parking garage.

“Which floorplan do you think would work the best for you and your partner?” she asked without batting an eye.

“Um… I like the one with the open kitchen. Did you say you had one of those at the back of the property?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

“Yes.” Mary pointed to the unit in question. “It is one of our larger units with an extra room on the first floor of the unit. People usually use it for a game room or an office. The unit is right by the park with gate access here.” She indicated the spot where the gate was located. “You would have laundry hook-ups in the apartment and the pool and gym are here.” She placed her finger on a building that looked to be at an easy distance from the apartment.

“And when is that unit going to be available?” He asked.

“That particular one will be open on the sixth. I think that’s a Wednesday.”

Jensen pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the dates. “Is it possible for me to see one that’s similar or that particular one?”

“I can check with the current tenant to see if they would be willing to let you have a look. May I take your number and call you when I find out?” Mary asked.

“Of course.”

The information was quickly given and Jensen was given an application to begin working on in the meantime. He left with the unit number, a firm rent price, and the application. Mary promised to call him within 24 hours letting him know about a tour of a property. Jensen thanked her for her time and left feeling like he had just found a place to live. He spent about an hour walking around the neighborhood to get a feel for it. He found a Thai restaurant and a barbeque joint very quickly. That seemed like an excellent start. There was also a local branch library and a locally owned book/music store within easy distance.

He headed in the direction of the second address his mother had given him that morning to check out the clinic he had already sent his resume to. It was an attractive building set back from the road. It looked modern without being too shiny or imposing. There seemed to be a good number of cars in the lot which meant it did good business. It looked clean and well-kept. These were all positive impressions. Jensen nodded to himself and kept walking. Only time would tell.

Once his curiosity was satisfied, he headed back to his car to begin the drive back to his parents’ house. Before heading out, he sent Jared a quick “thinking about you” message. What he didn’t say was that he was always thinking about him.

 

The next day he hit two more complexes, but neither one was a nice as the one his mother found for him. He got a call from Mary stating that the current tenant was willing to show the apartment on Friday. They worked out a time and Jensen began filling out the application. He was excited about this one. He also sent resumes to the other two clinics on his mother’s list.

While all of that was going on, he was also actively avoiding his mom. After all of this time of wanting to get back to her, he now needed to _not_ talk to her. He knew that she would dig out his loneliness and how much he missed Jared. He really didn’t need her to pull all of that out of him and make him feel worse. He was barely holding on as it was.

 

Thursday morning brought a phone call from the first clinic Jensen had contacted. They said they were interested in meeting with him and an interview was set for the next afternoon.

Friday morning came and Jensen headed to the apartment to get his tour. He hadn’t shared his excitement with Jared yet. He was waiting for a bit more confirmation before saying anything.

“Good morning, Jensen!” Mary called when he entered the office. “It’s very nice to see you again.”

“Good morning, Mary!” Jensen replied. “Nice to see you, too.”

“Let me get my keys, and we’ll head over to that apartment.” As she got herself put together, Jensen stood looking out of the window. He was lost in thought when Mary returned and was startled when Mary called out, “Okay! Ready when you are!”

“Ah!” His hand flew to his chest, and he laughed nervously. “Sorry, I was thinking about something and got lost for a second.”

“No big deal!” she laughed. “Sorry I startled you. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just daydreaming I guess.” He shook his head to clear it from the thoughts of Jared that had been running through his head and said, “Ready when you are.”

“Okay!” She ushered him through the door and then locked it behind them, placing a “showing an apartment” sign on the front door. She indicated that she was ready, and they began to walk to the back of the property. She began pointing out things as they walked and explaining some of their policies. He asked about pets, and she explained that pets were allowed with a pet deposit. Certain breeds of dogs were prohibited, but mostly because of size. Overall they were very pet friendly. He smiled thinking about Jared’s dream.

When they got to the building, Mary indicated that there were two entrances to the parking garage and one was right by this portion of the complex. Jensen noted that there was nothing but green space in the middle of the complex. All parking was kept to the outside of the living areas. The interior of the complex was made up of open areas, playgrounds, and the pool and gym building. He loved it.

They made their way up to the third floor in the corner unit to reach the apartment door. Mary knocked loudly, waited and then knocked again.

“I guess they decided not to stay. We can go on in.” She unlocked the door using the maintenance key and stepped to the side to allow Jensen to enter first. “As I’m sure you noticed, this is the top unit in this building. Some of the other buildings have three sets of two-story units. Because this one is the end unit, it only has two apartments.”

The first thing he noticed upon entering was the flooring. It looked like hard wood. The door led into a short hallway with a closet on each side. Just past the closet on the right side was a bonus room with pocket doors that had a half bath attached. On the left side was a staircase with a landing halfway up that led to the bedrooms. Just past the stairway was the L-shaped kitchen. There was plenty of storage space and a good-sized pantry. There was an island large enough to seat four people with a pot rack above it. The counters and the cabinets were a mix of navy blue and a soft dove gray. There were stainless appliances that perfectly accented the colors in the kitchen. It was an open, spacious work area that Jared would love.

“As you saw on the floorplan, this is a really unique design. You can see that the first floor is mostly one big room with designated spaces for living, dining and kitchen. The bonus room is perfect for an office space or as a media room. And with the half bath with the two entrances, you can take care of your guests.” Mary held a hand toward the balcony. “You can see that there is a large balcony overlooking the park with this unit. There’s some nice space out there for entertaining also.” She paused and then said, “Have a look around and when you’re ready we can head upstairs.”

 The kitchen blended into the dining and living areas and made one large open space. Off the living space, was a sliding door that led into a large balcony area along the living room wall and then narrowed as it followed along the dining room space. The larger area could easily fit a table and chairs with a grill. The narrower space could fit a couple of Adirondack chairs or rockers. There were large windows in the dining area that let in lots of natural light. From the balcony, Jensen could look out over the park behind the complex. He smiled as he looked out and saw plenty of walking trails.

“Are the floors real wood?” he asked.

“Not all the way through, but the top of the flooring is. It’s very durable which is one of the reasons we don’t mind pets.”

Jensen walked around looking at the windows and the level of natural light. He walked through the kitchen to get a feel for the space there and was very pleased. There seemed to be enough room for two large men to move around. The dining area was large as well. The current tenant had a table for six in the space, and there was plenty of room to move around it. The chandelier over the table was attractive without being over-the-top. He walked around the bonus room and poked his head in the bathroom. The room was a good size for a media room. It felt perfect.

“Okay. Let’s see upstairs.” he said.

Mary indicated that Jensen should go up first. She followed behind him as they made their way up. At the landing, Jensen found a storage space with a door. He only briefly glanced inside. It seemed like a nice size. At the top of the stairs, was a hallway full of doors. The wooden floor was used on the second level as well and gave the space a homey feel. The first door was a mechanical closet. Not exciting. There was a double door on the right that held a small utility room that could handle a medium sized washer and dryer. There was a shelf above the units that could hold all of his laundry needs.

Also on the right hand side of the hallway was the smaller bedroom. This bedroom held a full-sized bed and a small chest of drawers along with two bedside tables. There was still ample space in here as well leading Jensen to think it could probably hold a queen-sized bed and still be comfortable. The bathroom attached to this bedroom featured a walk-in shower, but it didn’t include a tub. There was a single sink and a small walk-in closet. This space would be great as an office for Jared. Jensen was very happy with the layout and the space. There was a lot of natural light here as well.

The door to the master bedroom was at the back of the hallway. The room held a queen-sized bed, a large chest of drawers and two bedside tables. There was also a seating nook that held a love seat and a small table. Despite the amount of furniture in the room, there was still room to move around comfortably. He tried to imagine a king-sized bed and felt like it would probably work. There was a full bath in this room that featured a large soaking tub and a separate walk-in shower space. There were double sinks on the counter space with open shelves below. There was also a huge walk-in closet with built-in shelving and plenty of hanging space.

“This place is really spectacular.” Jensen answered. “I want to go ahead and turn in my application, but I want to think about it for a couple of days. If that’s cool.”

“Of course,” Mary answered. “Also remember that we have three other units open. We have another one like this one, but it doesn’t have the view. The other two units are a bit smaller. We can schedule a time to look at one of those if you want.”

“Let me think about it.” Jensen began to walk back down the stairs to the first floor. “I’ll let you know soon.”

“Sure.” Mary answered. “Feel free to take a look around the rest of the complex. The gym and the pool area are open at this time of the day, so you can walk around those if you would like.”

“Thanks!” he said. “And please thank your tenant for letting me come in and poke around. I appreciate your time.”

 

Two hours later, Jensen was shaking hands with the office manager at Better Day PT. He was given a quick tour of the facility and then they settled into an office space for the interview. Aaron, the manager, was a friendly person, and the place seemed like it was genuinely interested in helping people instead of making money. That was a plus for Jensen. Before the interview was finished, Aaron was offering Jensen a job.

“Wow, Aaron! Thank you!”

“You seem like the kind of guy we could use here. I think you’ll be a good fit.”

“Before you get too excited,” Jensen stated. “I want you to know that I plan to be working a couple of days a week out at the Ackles Foundation. Is that something that you would be okay with?”

“Absolutely! You’d be able to set your own schedule here as long as you can pull at least thirty hours a week. More if you want them. But we can work with you.” Aaron responded. “The Ackles Foundation is an excellent program. Your family is doing great work up there.”

“Thank you.” Jensen answered. “What time do you guys open in the morning? And how late could I stay?”

“We work with quite a few business professionals who like to come in early in the morning. We usually open around 6:00, but we can work with whatever you need to set up. We’re somewhat fluid around here.” Aaron laughed. “We are happy to work with people to make sure they get what they need. We have a growing client base, and we want to keep it that way. Y’know what I mean?”

“Yep! I certainly do.” Jensen smiled.

They began to talk particulars of salary and benefits, and by the time Jensen left, he felt that he had a job if he wanted it. As he shook hands with Aaron at the door, he promised to let him know by Tuesday what he had decided.

 

“Alright Jensen!” Donna said later that night. “You have been avoiding me for far too long. You are gonna talk to me. Even if I have to sit on you and make you.”

Jensen smiled and looked up from the computer screen that he had been using to avoid making eye contact with his mom for the last hour. She had a determined look on her face, and he knew that he couldn’t put it off any longer.

“Okay, Mama.” He said with a resigned tone. “What do you want to know?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, Mama. I’m fine.”

“Then why are you so sad? Why are you so…empty?” Donna asked softly.

“Do you have some time?” Jensen asked.

“Of course, sweetheart. All the time you need.”

Jensen ran a hand over his face and closed his eyes, trying to get his thoughts together. He let out a large sigh and met his mother’s eyes again.

“I miss him with everything I am.” Jensen said, baldly laying claim to the overwhelming emotion he had been trying to tamp down for days. He sighed quietly and then continued. “I’m barely holding it together. And I don’t know how I’m going to make it for three more weeks without him by my side.”

“Oh, baby!” Donna said moving to sit beside Jensen on the couch. “What’s going on here? I thought you were okay.”

“I am okay.” Jensen reiterated. He put his laptop on the coffee table and turned to face his mom. “I just can’t seem to function at full steam anymore without Jared. I feel like I’m missing some vital piece. Like a lung or a ventricle or something, I don’t know. I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.”

“I was hoping this relationship was going to be a good thing for you, Jensen. But I have to say. Right now, I’m not so sure of it. It doesn’t look good from where I’m sitting.” Donna took one of Jensen’s hands in her own and held on. “I’m afraid you got in too far, too fast.”

“No,” Jensen cried out, feeling tears welling in his eyes. “It isn’t like that.” Jensen closed his eyes again and tilted his head back into the couch. “I didn’t want to have to tell you this, but it looks like I can’t avoid it.”

“What?” Donna asked softly, sounding scared. “What happened?”

“Well, first. I have to tell you that I love him more than anybody I have ever known. And he loves me with his whole heart. I know he does. I have absolutely no doubts about him. Mama, he isn’t perfect, but he is perfect for me. We…fit. He brightens me up, makes me light. He makes me laugh, and he’s so giving and so special. Even with everything he has had to survive. And it isn’t bad. I promise you! We aren’t co-dependent or anything.” Jensen laughed. “Well, not in a bad way, anyway! He makes me more myself. Makes me want to be the best version of me.”

“So what’s going on here? What do you need to tell me?” Donna asked. When Jensen looked away and hesitated, she asked, “Is it about what happened to you in college? Is it what took the light away from your eyes?”

“Yeah.” Jensen said, his sad eyes meeting his mother’s. “Jared brought me out from under it. He made it better. I know it doesn’t look like it now, but I’m so much better than I was. He brought me back to life. Because of what happened back then, I’ve been shut down, closed off. I really haven’t been living for such a long time. I didn’t even see it. Jared helped me pull myself out of it. I, honestly, didn’t even know I wasn’t functioning.

“See. Freshman year, I met this guy.” Jensen took a deep breath and began to tell his mother about his time with Trent. He started off with their first meeting and how flattered Jensen was when Trent noticed him. He told her how he’d been “won over” by Trent’s confidence and looks. He included Trent’s pressure to go further with their physical relationship and his dominance with their social relationship. He explained how Trent took to molding him into the perfect arm candy while disregarding everything about Jensen except his looks. Donna listened to everything without comment. When Jensen got to the last night, about Trent taking what he wanted and Jensen letting it happen, she wrapped him up in her arms and held him tightly to her. He explained about his breakdown afterward. Jensen accepted her love and support for a few minutes while he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he pushed back and looked at her.

“I’m so sorry, Mama.” He whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“What for, baby?” Donna said wiping tears from her own eyes. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

“Because I let you down. I wasn’t strong when I needed to be. I feel so stupid, and I gave him something that I didn’t want him to have. I gave him something that I can’t take back. I’m sorry!” Jensen felt the tears flowing down his face.

“Sweetheart! No!” Donna reached up to brush the tears away. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” When Jensen scoffed, Donna tried again. “It sounds like you tried to get him to stop and he didn’t. That’s on him, not you. Let the guilt go. It isn’t your fault. And unfortunately, you’ve been paying the price all of these years for something that he did to you. You don’t have to punish yourself anymore, Jensen. I love you, y’know? So does your dad and Josh and Mackenzie.”

“I know.” Jensen said softly. “I just couldn’t open myself up like that again. Not after that. I felt like all I was good for was to be pretty, y’know? I didn’t want to let anybody in again because I was just a shell. I was shut down. Then after that bar fight and all of the press around that, I just couldn’t stand to have people look at me. Everyone knew things about me before I had a chance to know about them. I felt like they could see what I had become, and I didn’t want those eyes on me anymore.” Jensen took a deep breath and continued. “That’s why I moved to D.C. with Daneel. But that didn’t help. I mean, I had control when I worked for Dani, but I didn’t want to get to know those people. It was just an act I put on for the clients. They didn’t know who I was. And all the guys I met in D.C. were so pushy, and all they wanted was sex.” He flashed his eyes up to his mother prepared to apologize.

“It’s okay, Jensen.” She smiled and squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue.

“They were grabby and forceful, and I didn’t want that. I wanted more. There were a couple of guys that weren’t that bad, but I didn’t want to get close to them. They didn’t feel right.” Jensen shook his head. “I closed myself off from everyone. I knew people from work and I hung out with Dani, and that was it.” Donna squeezed the hand she was holding again. “And then I met Jared. That first morning we met, at that diner, remember?” When Donna nodded, he continued. “I knew he was different. He was so open and sweet. Funny and genuine. We connected during that breakfast, and I walked away. I was so used to keeping myself on lockdown, I didn’t know what to do.”

“You said you didn’t want to start something if you were going to be moving soon.” Donna reminded him.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.” Jensen nodded. He looked down as his phone sounded. He quickly sent a response to Jared’s text and then looked back at his mother. “I don’t know if that was the whole truth or just what I told myself to make myself feel better about it. All I know is that I couldn’t get him out of my mind.” Jensen’s eyes looked far away as he continued. “And then I got the chance to get to know him. Even after I hurt him the way I did. And I did hurt him. A lot. He still let me in and told me everything about his history. He gave me all the ugly.” Donna smiled. “And trust me when I say it was pretty ugly. But he let me in. And I fell so hard. He went through all of that and yet he could open himself up to me and trust me to know that about him. He’s just… so amazing. Mama, I love him so much!”

“Okay, so why are you so sad?” Donna asked.

“I need him. I don’t feel like me right now. I went for so long without anyone, locked up and closed off. Living, at best, a half-life.  And then he opened me up. Knocked down my walls and stood beside me. I told him my ugly parts, and he accepted them. All of them. Without question. I feel like myself when I’m with him, but when he isn’t here… I’m lost. And I don’t want to be that shut down person anymore. I don’t want to crawl back into that shell and disappear. It scares me.”

“Oh!” Donna said softly. “I get it.” Jensen came back to himself and looked at her again.

“Huh?” he questioned.

“I get it,” she said. She reached up and gently patted his cheek. “He is your other half. Without him, you aren’t you.”

“Yeah!” Jensen agreed.

“And you haven’t been you in years, right?”

“Mama, I don’t know if I have ever been.”

“Oh, Jensen!” Donna’s eyes filled again. “You have denied yourself for so long. And you’ve punished yourself for things that aren’t your fault.” She blinked quickly and tried to get a handle on her emotions. “I’m so sorry that you have never truly felt accepted by this family. By the people here that you grew up with.”

“That’s not true. I know that you accept me.” He argued.

“That’s not enough.” Donna whispered. “Everyone else gets to just walk around being who they are, and you have never felt able to do that. You need to be allowed to be yourself no matter where you are. I hate that people are so shallow and judgmental. But you, Jensen. You are amazing. And I’m not saying that just because I’m your mother.” Jensen laughed. “I just want you to have your chance to be happy.”

“It’s coming. I promise you.” Jensen smiled. “I just have to make it to when Jared gets here. If I can do that, I’m not looking back ever again.” When Donna chuckled, Jensen said, “I had a strange experience on the way here.”

“Oh yeah?” Donna smiled at him.

“Yeah. I met this woman in the parking lot of one of the hotels I stayed in.” He smiled with the memory and then he told his mom about meeting Ms. Maybelle and what she said. Donna listened and smiled.

“Sounds like Ms. Maybelle has a gift.” She said. “Hold onto her words, J.R. I think you’re going to get a surprise.”

While Jensen tried to figure out what she meant, Donna smiled and walked away.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Saturday, May 26th

 

Jared woke up Saturday morning with a minor hangover. Friday night had been fun, but he had never completely felt part of the group. For most of the evening, he was a spectator. He watched Gen and Steve, and Tyson and Dani. They were being so careful not to be too demonstrative, not wanting to rub their togetherness in Jared’s face, but he felt like he was a hindrance. This caused him to drink a bit more than he normally would have, and now he had the headache to prove it.

He stretched and scratched and tried to get himself motivated to face the day. With the long weekend ahead of him, he was feeling down. Too much time to have to fill, and the person he wanted to fill it with was nowhere to be found.

He lifted his phone from the bedside table and was surprised to see that he had three text messages waiting for him. He also quickly noticed that it was much later than he thought it was. He rubbed his eyes and moved to get dressed. He wanted to get a quick run this morning in order to clear his head and try to lighten his mood a bit. He needed the release. Without looking at the messages, Jared shoved his phone in his pocket and headed out.

Forty minutes later, he came huffing and puffing back in through the front door. Genevieve was waiting with a bottle of water which Jared drank quickly and huffed out a thank you.

“You might want to shower.” Gen smiled up at her friend.

“What’s up?” Jared said through his breathing.

“Tyson will be here in fifteen minutes to see the place.” Gen giggled when Jared’s eyes bugged out. “You haven’t checked your messages this morning.”

“No, I wanted to clear my head a bit.” Jared answered. “Crap!”

“Yep!” Gen answered. “Get moving!”

Jared hurried into his bedroom and made his bed. He grabbed some clothes and started his shower. After a quick but thorough cleansing, he got dressed and made his way to the kitchen. Gen was sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee, so Jared grabbed a bowl of cereal and joined her.

“Hey there!” she laughed. “You smell better!”

“Ha!” he scoffed. “Thanks!”

“There’s coffee.”

“Yeah, I saw it. I’ll get some in a minute.” He smiled at his friend. “Thank you!”

“So…” Gen started.

“Yeah?”

“You want to leave earlier than I thought?” Gen asked.

“Um…” Jared looked away. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize.” Gen answered softly. “I understand.”

“I should have said something before dropping that bomb last night. That was really inconsiderate of me. For that, I’m sorry.” Jared said quietly.

“Thank you. But it really is okay.”

“Gen. I need to be with him.” Jared started, looking over at her. “I feel like I’m losing my mind. I’m trying so hard to keep it together, but I’m really struggling.”

“I know.” Gen said patting his leg.

“When he first left, talking to him made me feel better. I’d get off the phone with a smile on my face. Now, when I hang up, I have to wipe tears away. I’m trying. But it’s so hard to not have him beside me.”

“Jare, did I do a bad thing by encouraging you to get into this? You guys haven’t had a whole lot of time together. I mean, you haven’t really had any healthy relationships before. Is this healthy? Or are you rushing this?” Genevieve asked softly. “I saw the two of you together. I saw how happy you both have been, but I’m trying to look out for you. I want what’s best for you, and I’m scared.”

“At first I was scared too. You know that.” Gen nodded, and Jared continued. “But once I made the decision, it felt…designed. Perfect… Right.” Jared paused. “Like he was exactly what I was supposed to have. Like it was destined to be.” He chuckled softly and then continued. “Steve and Franklin said that Jensen and I are soulmates. I think they might be right.”

“What?” Genevieve asked with big eyes. “Soulmates?”

“Yeah,” Jared laughed a bit. “I don’t know.”

“Wow!” Gen gasped. “That’s… different.”

“Sounds kooky, doesn’t it?” Jared laughed again.

“It makes sense.” Gen answered.

“What?”

“It makes sense.” Gen restated more firmly.

“You think so?” Jared asked with a confused look. “You?”

“Yeah, me!” Gen laughed. “Why did you ask that?”

“You’re the down-to-earth one. The no nonsense person. You’re the rock.” Jared ran a hand through his hair and flopped back on the couch. “You’re not supposed to believe in stuff like that.”

“Well, in this case, I do believe it.” Gen turned sideways on the couch to look at Jared more directly. “This is what I’ve seen.” Genevieve began to count off items on her fingers. “One. You have been living behind a shield, rightfully so, for the last four years. Two. You had breakfast with him one morning and were ready to go face the world again. I remember you saying that you were tired of being scared and alone. I remember that you were the one to initiate a possibility of a relationship. That hadn’t happened before.” Jared grinned and nodded. “Three! You went along with my crazy plan to hire someone to be your special someone, and you went to your brother’s wedding. You faced off against Nathan and put him in his place!”

“Yeah, I did.” Jared grinned.

“Once you got to know me, Jare, you’ve been yourself with me. I’ve been so proud to call you my friend.” Gen said holding Jared’s hand in her own. “But you haven’t shared yourself with anyone else. Since you’ve been able to get to know Jensen, you’ve become more you. And not just with me, but with other people as well. At least while he was here. Last night, you slipped a little. You’re still better than you were, but you weren’t with us last night. You were in your own world.”

“Yeah. I know.” Jared frowned and looked away. “I felt out of place. And I didn’t want to keep you guys from being yourselves, but I could see that you were all being careful around me.”

“Look. What I’m trying to say here is this. I can see the positive influence Jensen has on you. I can see that you are more you _with_ him than without him. I know that’s a good thing.” Gen squeezed his hand and continued. “I want you to be happy. I want you to be healthy. And I think Steve and Franklin might be right, but I guess I’m just scared that I’m losing you.”

“Oh, Gen!” Jared pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. “You won’t lose me. You have been a better friend than I could ever have hoped for. You have helped me so much, and I’m lucky that I met you. I’m not giving you up. Ever.” Jared pulled away, so he could look Gen in the eye. “Jensen and I have actually already talked about the fact that I want you to be a part of my life. He wants that too. He wants to be sure that you know that you are important to him because you are important to me. And he likes you. For you. He thinks you’re cool.”

Genevieve smiled and patted Jared’s chest.

“That’s good. I like him for him. He’s an amazing guy.” Gen smiled sadly. “So you want to leave on Thursday?”

“Yeah, if this thing with Tyson works out.” Jared looked at his watch and said, “Speaking of which. Where is he? I thought he’d be here by now.”

“I asked him to give us a little extra time. He should be here soon.” Gen stood up and pulled Jared’s hand. “Go get your coffee. I’ll do a quick walk-through to be sure things look okay.”

“Gen?” Jared said as he stood up, a worried look on his face. “I love you. You know that right?”

“You’d better, mister!” Gen laughed. “I love you, too.”

 

After viewing the apartment, Tyson agreed to take over Jared’s space. He was willing to move in on the first of the month. Jared was relieved and happy that he wasn’t leaving Gen with that much rent to cover on her own.

He finally got around to checking his messages and found two of them had been between Tyson and Gen setting up the time for looking at the apartment. The third one was from Franklin with a time and a place for Jared to meet up with him and Steve. It looked like they were going to get lunch and then figure out something to do. Jared quickly responded that he would see them at 12:30.

Since he had his shower and exercise done, he had a little time to kill. He found a quiet corner and called Jensen’s phone.

“’Lo!” Jensen answered after the third ring.

“Hey!” Jared answered.

“Jay!” Jared could hear the smile in Jensen’s voice. “What are you up to?”

“Hanging around. I’m gonna meet up with Steve and Franklin for lunch in little bit. Wanted to hear your voice before I ran out of time.”

“God, I miss you!” Jensen returned. “Jay, this is so hard.”

“I know. I feel it, too.” Jared responded quietly. “I’m not the same without you. I miss you.”

It was quiet between them for a moment. Then Jensen cleared his throat.

“So I decided to take the job and the apartment. They are within walking distance of one another. So that’s cool.” He announced, trying to sound upbeat.

“Yeah? That sounds great.” Jared answered. “When do you move in?”

“Um… The apartment will be open by the sixth which is a Wednesday. I’m not sure when I’ll take occupancy. Maybe that weekend.” Jensen answered.

“Hmm…” Jared smiled to himself. He knew that he’d be there by then to help Jensen move. “Is it a big place? Lots of stairs?”

“The one I’m looking at is on the third floor. Not too bad, all things considered.”

“Jensen?” Jared started, suddenly overcome with a wave of emptiness.

“Yeah, Jay?”

“Never mind.” Jared tried to shake it off. No reason to drag Jensen’s mood down.

“You can tell me anything, Jay.” Jensen said softly. Jared could hear a voice in the background calling for Jensen. The mouthpiece was covered noisily, and Jared could hear a muted conversation, then Jensen was back. “Jay, I’m at the ranch and Josh is here. He’s showing me around, letting me see the improvements since I was here last. We’re also going to be setting up a schedule for me here.”

“Oh! That’s great, Jen!” Jared was truly happy. “Yeah, go take care of that! I’ll talk to you later tonight okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Jensen was quiet for a bit and then said, “Jay?”

“I love you with all of my heart, Jensen Ross Ackles.” Jared whispered. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“I love you, too. Jay, I miss you.”

“I know. Miss you!” Jared wiped the tears from his cheeks and ended the call. He tossed his phone down and covered his face, letting the sadness wash over him for a minute. The next thing he knew, Genevieve had her arms around him, and he was sobbing on her shoulder.

 

Memorial Day Weekend was a trial for Jensen. After his talk with his mother Friday night and a quick phone call with Jared, Jensen had way too much time to think. By Saturday morning, he was decided on both the job and the apartment. He would take both of them. Now, he just needed to talk to Josh and see how things at the Foundation were going to work. After breakfast, he made the call to Mary and let her know about the apartment. He also quickly phoned Aaron and locked down a Tuesday start at Better Day, then he hopped in his car and headed out to the ranch.

Josh greeted him at the porch and walked him into the house. As they settled at the table in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, Josh offered him a cinnamon roll from the plate on the table.

“So what do you have in mind?” Josh asked.

“I thought I could do Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, say one to six, and every other Saturday for a few hours. See how it goes from there?” Jensen answered.

“That sounds good.” Josh nodded. “Would you be open to being on call sometimes? In case we get something that we can’t address?”

“In theory, yes. I need to see how the other job is going to go before I can make that commitment. But I think I should be able to swing it.”

“Other job?” Josh asked.

“Oh! Yeah, I just took a job at Better Day PT. Ever heard of it?”

“Yeah, I have. Only good things, so that’s nice.” Josh laughed. “Want to look around at the changes?”

“Let’s go!”

Josh led him out to the new housing facility for the kids who were in need of a place to live in order to recuperate from whatever damage or trauma they were dealt. It was a two story bunk house with a shared great room in the middle. The great room held two large picnic style tables, a few café style tables, and a TV/game area with bean bags and comfy couches. There were two shower rooms, one at each end, and two comfortable “talking rooms” for Josh and the other counselors to use for their sessions. Everything was done in natural tones with lots of natural light. There was also a kitchen where Josh had a part-time staff who made the evening meal for those who were living there. Breakfast and lunch were up to the kids and the staff members to figure out on their own, but there were usually some easy heat and eat type meals in the fridge.

The second floor had several rooms that held two sets of bunk beds, and two single occupancy rooms. There were two shower rooms up here as well, one at each end. The shower rooms had four shower stalls and four toilets each. This gave the kids ample choice for where they felt most comfortable. There was also a lock on the inside of each door, so any person who needed that extra sense of safety could lock down the room while they were inside. Everything felt homey and warm here. Jensen was impressed.

“Where are the kids?” Jensen wondered.

“Off on one of their field trips. I think they went to a science museum today.”

“So where would I be able to do the physical therapy?” Jensen asked as they made their way toward the barn after the tour of the bunk house.

“Well, I was thinking we could either set up a room in the main house or in the barn area. We have offices in the house where we deal with the day-to-day necessities of running this thing, but we have a couple of rooms that are mainly just storage. We can clear those out and set you up in there. The upstairs and the kitchen are reserved for my private use. I have a couple of guest rooms up there and a living room to relax in.” Josh paused when Jensen’s phone started ringing.

Jensen checked the display to see that it was Jared. He held up a finger and walked away to answer it.

“’Lo!” Jensen answered trying to get a sense of privacy with Josh only a few steps away.

“Hey!” Jared answered, his voice soft.

“Jay!” Jensen smiled into the phone. “What are you up to?”

“Hanging around. I’m gonna meet up with Steve and Franklin for lunch in little bit. Wanted to hear your voice before I ran out of time.”

“God, I miss you!” Jensen returned feeling a pit in his chest. “Jay, this is so hard.”

“I know. I feel it, too.” Jared responded quietly. “I’m not the same without you. I miss you.”

It was quiet between them for a moment. Then Jensen cleared his throat. He started talking about the job and the apartment, trying to get the conversation on even ground. They went quiet again.

“Jensen?” Jared’s pained voice came through the phone.

“Yeah, Jay?” Jensen returned, fighting off discomfort with the tone of Jared’s voice.

“Never mind.” Jared said. Jensen could tell that something wasn’t right.

“You can tell me anything, Jay.” Jensen said softly, trying to encourage him to share whatever the issue was.

Suddenly Josh was calling his name and waving him over to talk to someone. He covered the mouthpiece on the phone and called back.

“Just a minute! It’s Jared!”

“Oh, sorry. I want you to meet Helene. Finish up and then head to the barn. We’ll be there.” Josh answered.

“Yep. On the way.” Jensen responded, then turned his attention back to the phone. “Jay, I’m at the ranch and Josh is here. He’s showing me around, letting me see the improvements since I was here last. We’re also going to be setting up a schedule for me here.”

“Oh, that’s great, Jensen.” Jared was truly happy. “Yeah, go take care of that. I’ll talk to you later tonight okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Jensen was quiet for a bit. He knew something still wasn’t right, but he also knew that Jared was trying desperately to reign it in and not bring Jensen down. “Jay?”

“I love you with all of my heart, Jensen Ross Ackles.” Jared whispered. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

Jensen closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest. His throat felt tight as he responded, “I love you, too. Jay, I miss you.”

“I know. Miss you! Talk soon.” Jared answered.

“Okay.” Jensen said softly. After he closed his phone, he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and headed for the barn.

 

Helene was the second in command at the ranch, and she was a fireball. Jensen liked her immediately. She reminded him of Daneel in so many ways. He was really looking forward to working with her and getting to know her better. He could tell that she and Josh had a special fondness for one another and that they worked very well as a team.

“So we are now getting kids from all over the state. Most of them are still relatively local. We have one from the Houston area and one from West Texas right now.” Helene was explaining. “We can house up to 15, but usually we only have about eight to ten at any given time. We have weekly trips that include museums, libraries, movies, that kind of thing. We have counseling sessions, in-house movie nights, group therapy, art classes, and music lessons along with the horse therapy. We’ve been taking kids into town for physical therapy when it’s been needed. Having you on staff will free up more time for those kids that need the help.”

“Wow! This place has really expanded since I was last here.” Jensen remarked. “Nice work, bro.”

“Hey! It isn’t just me. Mom and Dad have been amazing. And Helene here is crazy-good.” Josh effused. “I certainly did not do all of this on my own.”

“Aw shucks!” Helene gently pushed Josh’s shoulder. “You’re alright, boss.”

Jensen smiled and said, “We’ll see about that.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, J.R.” Josh smirked.

 

The rest of the tour encompassed the use of the horses in therapy sessions, a quick rundown of the camping trips and campfire activities. These were the things that Jensen was familiar with and had helped out with before.

As they headed back up to the house, they started talking about life in general and how things had been going over the last few years.

“So how about the love life?” Jensen asked slyly. “Anything to talk about there?”

Josh blushed and looked away. Jensen nudged his brother with his shoulder and smiled. “Come on, man. Spill.”

“Yeah.” Josh grinned. “You may have noticed that I’m here or at the office downtown most of the time. Not a lot of time to pursue anything.”

“Hmm…” Jensen rumbled. “Maybe you don’t need to look any further than that. Helene seems pretty awesome.”

“Dude, she works for me.”

“And?” Jensen grinned. “You are both consenting adults. If you go about it the right way, it shouldn’t be a problem. Do you like her?”

“Yeah, man. She’s awesome.” Josh laughed. “I don’t know what I would do without her around here. But…I’m not sure she would be open to pursuing anything more with me. I’m happy just to be around her, y’know?”

“Dude!” Jensen shook his head. “I have recently figured out that if you don’t allow yourself to try, you won’t get anywhere.”

“Speaking of which,” Josh started. “How’s Jared?”

“Umm…” Jensen started. “I think he’s doing well.”

“The conversation you had earlier seemed a bit…weird. Everything alright?”

“I think so. He seemed a little off, but I think he’s just having a tough time this weekend. Kinda like me.” Jensen shook his head. “This being apart thing is really difficult. I mean…I just found him. This is supposed to be the time when we spend a lot of time together, y’know. Getting to know each other. All that. But I’m halfway across the country from him. I just want to see him. Hold him.” Jensen huffed out a breath. “This sucks.”

“So last time we talked about it, you weren’t sure he was going to reciprocate. Things have obviously moved forward from that. You’re more comfortable with things?”

“Yeah, we’re good and moving forward. He’s gonna move back to Texas in a few weeks. I’m hoping that he’ll move in with me once he gets here.”

“Really?” Josh asked with wide eyes. “That’s…wow!”

“Yeah, I know. But Josh, man. He’s it for me. I know it.”

“Okay. And the problems he’s had? You’re okay with that?”

“He’s okay with my shit. I can’t deny him his own.” Jensen stated firmly. “You don’t know, man. The stuff I’ve had to deal with. The stuff he’s had to deal with. We’ve talked about all of it. We’re good.”

“Okay. As long as you’re okay.” Josh patted his brother on the back. “Is there anything you want to talk about? Something you’re holding on to?”

“Are you speaking to me as a doctor or as a brother right now?”

“Your brother. I’m worried about you.” Josh settled into a rocker as they made their way onto the porch. Jensen settled into one beside him.

“Well, let’s just say that my time at college was not all peaches and cream. Because of things that happened there, including that bar fight, I needed some space. I needed a chance to breathe air that wasn’t tainted. Daneel offered me a reason to go somewhere else for a while, and I jumped on the chance.” Jensen sat back in his chair and huffed out a breath. “I shut myself off from everything and everyone after that. I watched life pass me by. The bad part about that was that I didn’t even realize what I was doing.”

He looked over at his brother and shrugged. When Josh nodded, he continued.

“Jared brought me out of that.” Jensen smiled. “Without meaning to, he showed me what my life had become and what my life could be if I opened myself up to it. There was no way I could walk away from that.”

“And he’s good? He’s stable now?” Josh asked. “I got the impression that things were pretty rocky for him.”

“He’s amazing! He had a breakthrough when we were in San Antonio together. He’s working through some stuff, but he’s rock solid.” Jensen’s face shifted and he allowed some of his sadness to show through. “I just really miss him. The phone calls aren’t gettin’ it.”

Josh huffed a little laugh. “Well, I look forward to meeting him. When is he supposed to get here?”

“I think he’s supposed to head this way on the ninth. He’d probably get here on the eleventh, but we haven’t nailed anything down. I don’t know where he’ll live. Here? Austin? San Antonio? I don’t know.”

“Well, where are you as far as all of that goes? You have the job lined up. What about a place to live?”

“Yeah, I’ve got an apartment lined up. It opens on the sixth. I’ll probably move in on the eighth or ninth. I start the new job this Tuesday. Things are lining up. I just have to stay sane and keep moving forward until he gets here.”

“You can do it, J.R.” Josh said firmly. “I’ll be right here to help you out.”

 

The rest of the weekend involved lots of time spent on the edges of his family for Jensen. He struggled with the loneliness he was feeling while trying to keep his family assured of his happiness. There was one fundraiser event for the Ackles Foundation on Memorial Day at which Jensen was asked to make an appearance, but that was only a couple of hours. He managed to take one of the horses out for a ride after the event. Getting out away from everything with just himself, the land, and a very accommodating horse made for an excellent afternoon. Otherwise, he was lonely and itching to get on with things.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Although Saturday had been pleasant, Sunday and Monday were horrible for Jared. His friends had tried to keep him occupied so that he didn’t have time to dwell on the aching hole in his life, but they could only do so much. Steve and Franklin had met him for lunch on Saturday, then they went to a museum together for a few hours. After that they went out for dinner, but Jared was home by 8:30 with the whole night ahead of him. He ended up on the phone with Jensen for an hour and then he went straight to bed.

Sunday involved a cookout with Gen, Scott, Dani and Tyson at Scott’s friend’s house. Once again, Jared felt like a fifth wheel and ended up sitting by himself for most of the event. By the time he got home he was really depressed. His phone call with Jensen that night only helped a little bit. Jensen also sounded depressed, but they fought bravely together to try and make it work.

When Gen invited him to hang out with her and Scott again on Monday, he turned her down. He ended up going into work around ten o’clock, just to have something to do. He spent several hours there working on the contracts he needed to finish. At the rate he was going, he was going to finish his work even earlier than he expected. He knew he had the personal days to cover whatever time he had left, so he just desperately wanted to be on the road.

His phone call with Jensen on Monday night lasted longer than any of their previous calls. Jensen was preparing to start work the next morning, and he was beginning to get ramped up for it. It was going to be a fairly normal first day involving paperwork, getting to know people, setting up appointments, and the like. Jensen shared that he was hoping to get settled into his work space and become acquainted with everyone. Jared listened to it all and tried to keep his mixed emotions to himself. He was excited for Jensen, but he really wished he could be there to witness it all for himself. He was missing Jensen’s life by being in D.C. still.

After they hung up, he wandered out to find Genevieve. They sat quietly together on the couch, pretending to watch television. Gen quietly reached over to hold Jared’s hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. After a few minutes, she grabbed a tissue out of the box on the coffee table and handed it to Jared. He calmly wiped away the tears that were steadily streaming down his cheeks.

 

Tuesday morning came and Jared got up to face it. He made breakfast for himself and for Genevieve. When she stumbled into the kitchen, he placed her plate on the table, kissed her on the head and went to get his shower. By the time he got back out, she had finished eating. When she took his hand again as he walked past her, he stopped and looked down at her.

“I’m gonna miss you,” she whispered.

“Nah! You’ll just miss my cooking.” He smiled in return. She placed a quick kiss on his hand and let him go. He grabbed his work bag and headed out.

By the end of the day, Jared had finished his work on both projects. He heaved a big sigh as he pushed himself away from his desk.

“Well,” he whispered. “That’s that.”

He packed up for the last time and made his way to Steve’s office. He waved at Marcy and took a seat. Two minutes later, Steve’s door popped open, and he waved Jared into his office.

“All done?” Steve asked after the door closed. Jared nodded. Steve waved him toward the seating area and moved that direction. Jared sat down on the love seat and placed his bag on the floor beside him. Steve tilted his head and quietly asked, “You okay?”

“I don’t know.” Jared replied. “I thought I’d be happier about this. Right now I just feel numb.”

“Give it a minute. It’ll hit you.” Steve responded. “You want to start leave tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I have the days for it since I never took a day off.  I’ve turned everything for both projects over to the next person for each project. My office is cleared out. My stuff is packed. I can hit the road tomorrow.” Jared tilted his head as the idea took root, and then he looked up with a bright smile on his face, dimples deeply carves into both cheeks. “I can leave tomorrow. I just need to load my stuff on a truck, and I can go.”

“Well, alright.” Steve smiled back. “Do you have a place to live?”

“No, and I really don’t care!” Jared laughed. “I’ll figure it out when I get there.”

 

Jensen’s Tuesday was about how he expected it to be. He got to his new place of employment around ten o’clock. He filled out paperwork, met new people, and generally settled in to a new job. He was given a client list and was set to meet his first client the very next day. He took his time getting his area set up, inviting his co-workers to stop by and chat as they moved about their work day. He felt like he was keeping himself open and willing to make new connections. He wanted to be sure not to close himself off the way he had before. After about four hours, he headed back to his parent’s house.

“Jensen, honey! Is that you?” his mom called from the kitchen when he entered the house.

“Yes, mama! Short day!” he called back. “I have a full schedule tomorrow.”

“There’s something for you. It came in the mail today.” She called back. “Come on in here! It’s on the table.”

He headed in that direction full of curiosity. Laying on the table, in the spot where he usually ate, was a box. When he saw the return address, he realized it was from Jared. He grabbed it and headed for his bedroom. He sat on his bed and began to tear open the tape holding the box closed.

“Damn it, Jared! Why did you use the kind with the strings?” he muttered to himself as he worked it open. The tape finally gave way, and Jensen was able to pull out the contents. The first thing he found was a Ziploc bag with a shirt shoved inside. Jensen smiled as he opened the bag just a little bit and stuck his nose inside. He sniffed and chuckled. He had missed that scent so much. He zipped the bag closed again and set it to the side.

The next thing he found was a sealed envelope which he set aside. Below that was a framed picture of him and Jared asleep on the couch at Jared’s apartment. Jared was stretched out on the bottom with his head on one of the armrests. Jensen was lying face down between Jared’s legs with his head right in the middle of Jared’s chest. He feet were dangling off the other end of the couch, and Jared’s arms were clasped around Jensen’s back. They looked so comfortable and relaxed in the photo. Jensen ran a fingertip over Jared’s face. He sent a silent thank you to Genevieve for taking this one. He immediately found a spot on his bedside table for the frame.

He finally went back to the sealed envelope and ripped it open. Inside was a letter written in Jared’s messy handwriting. Jensen slipped his shoes off and scooted back to the headboard before reading what it said.

Jensen,

I hope you like the picture. Genevieve took it on the Saturday we spent at my apartment. I love it and have a copy of it beside my bed. We look really content in it, don’t we? I think it’s the only picture we have together. We have to fix that when I get there.

I wore the shirt to work yesterday under my dress shirt. I did exactly what you asked. It was clean when I put it on. I did everything like I would on a normal day. I hope it’s what you were asking for. Your pillow still smells like you but it’s beginning to fade. That makes me sad.

I hope that everything is going well for you. I’m sure I’ve been talking to you every day, but know that I’m thinking about you all the time. Even when we aren’t together.

I miss you.

Love,

Jared

 

Jensen read the letter through again, smiling the entire time. He opened the Ziploc again and sniffed it. He could smell the soap Jared used and his cologne. Underneath that was the Jared scent that made Jensen relax. He sniffed again and then closed up the bag. He placed it under his pillow and laughed at himself for acting like a love-struck teenager. After reading the letter one more time, he looked at Jared’s face in the photo again. He couldn’t wait for Jared to just be there already.

 

As Jared was pulling into his parking spot at the apartment complex, his phone started ringing. He put his truck in park and killed the engine before looking to see who it was. The number was one he didn’t recognize, but he answered anyway.

“Hello! This is Jared.”

“Jared, honey? This is Donna Ackles. I got your letter today and I had to call.” Jensen’s mom sounded excited.

“Yes, ma’am. Is everything okay?” Jared asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

“Everything is just fine. I wanted to let you know that I’m very excited that you will be coming early. I promise not to say anything to Jensen. I’d like for you to be able to surprise him too. I would also like for you to stay here with us until you find a place to live. We have room, and it would just be so much easier for you. Plus, I’d like the chance to get to know you better.”

“Are you sure, Ms. Donna? I could just as easily stay with my brother in Austin for a little while.”

“No, sir. You will not stay that far away from Jensen. I wouldn’t dream of it. You need to be here with him.”

“You’re very sweet, and I thank you so much. I, um, I’m going to be heading that way a lot earlier than I originally thought. It looks like I’ll be leaving here tomorrow. I should be there by the second if that’s okay with you?”

“Four days? Why so long if you’re leaving tomorrow?” Donna asked.

“Well, I’m gonna go straight to Austin to store my bigger stuff with my brother and his wife. They promised to let me put it all in their garage until I find a place.” Jared answered.

“That would mean driving past us to get down to Austin and then turning right around and coming back up. And you’d have to go all the way back down there to get your stuff again. That just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Jared laughed a little bit and then cleared his throat. “Well, ma’am. I didn’t want to make any assumptions, and I wasn’t sure you’d want to put me up. I figured I’d be staying in a hotel or something until I found a place. And I didn’t want to spend extra money for a storage unit.”

“Well, Jared. I think you should come straight to my house. You have the address. We’ll put your big pieces at the ranch just like we did for Jensen. That way you don’t have to worry about paying any extra or driving all the way down to Austin until you’re ready to do that. You need to get _here_ as soon as possible.”

“Ma’am? What’s wrong with Jensen?” Jared asked worry creeping into his voice again.

“Jensen’s fine, Jared. He just misses you something fierce. I want him to be happy again. That’s all.”

“I miss him, too. Thank you for your kind invitation. I’ll definitely take you up on it.” Jared smiled. “So you will keep my secret and not let him know I’m coming?”

“Of course, darlin’. Just let me know when you’ll be getting here, and I’ll help you surprise him.”

“Thank you, Ms. Donna. I should be there Friday afternoon. If everything goes according to plan. I look forward to finally meeting you face-to-face.”

“Me too, sweetheart. You drive careful, and we’ll see you soon.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

They said their good-byes and Jared closed his phone. He sat back and closed his eyes. Suddenly he was feeling hot and flustered. His heart was racing in his chest, and he couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across his face. “This is actually going to work,” he whispered. He let out a huge whoop of excitement, then opened his truck door and raced into the apartment.

 

“We’re doing this all wrong!” Genevieve called from the living room.

“What do you mean? How many ways are there to watch TV while we eat?” Jared called back.

“Ugh! That’s not what I mean.”

Jared grabbed the plates and walked into the living room for his last evening meal in this apartment. He had lucked out and had been able to change the pick-up time on his cargo trailer, so he was all set to get it the next morning, and he didn’t think it would take him long to load up, even by himself. He only had the bedroom furniture, a few boxes of stuff, his pots and pans, and his clothes. All of the other furniture was Gen’s. When he left San Antonio, all he brought with him were his clothes and essentials. His first apartment had been a furnished one, so he’d never felt the need to buy any furniture of his own outside of the bedroom.

As he situated himself on the couch, he looked over to where Gen was standing by the TV. “What’s going on, Gen?”

“We’re doing this wrong. You should have a big going away party with lots of people who love you. Everyone should be happy for you, but sad for themselves. There’s supposed to be lots of hugging and laughter. Silly stories of the crazy things you’ve done. Music and really bad singing.” She flopped down onto the couch with him. “Instead…it’s just you and me, a pasta dinner, and a chick flick.”

“Oh, Gen.” Jared wrapped an arm around his friend and pulled her close. “None of that stuff applies to me. You know that. I don’t have lots of people who love me here. I have you. I haven’t done any crazy things, well except with you, so there won’t be all that many stories. We’re going to hug each other and laugh. And _you’ll_ be happy for me, but hopefully not too sad for yourself. And the music and really bad singing is on the schedule for a little later tonight. _After_ our pasta dinner and our chick flick.” Gen smacked him on the arm. He laughed as he continued. “I don’t want all of that other stuff. I just want a quiet evening with my best friend.”

“I am happy for you.” she muttered. “And I am sad for myself. I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too. But we’ll talk. I’ll be back to visit. You’ll come visit me.” Jared planted a big kiss on the top of her head. “Plus! I’m gonna be the Maid of Honor in your wedding, so we have that to look forward to.”

“Yeah, you’ll look beautiful in that lavender gown I have my eye on.” She giggled and wrapped her arms around him.

“Lavender, huh? Never really been my color.”

Gen sighed and snuggled into Jared’s side. “I’m taking a half day off tomorrow morning. I want to be here when you leave. I think that’s gonna be easier than coming home to an empty apartment.”

“Okay.” Jared sighed. “This is gonna be difficult no matter what. But it’ll be nice having you here to say good-bye to.”

“Yeah.”

 

Jensen made it through dinner and chatted with his dad about his new job for a bit before sneaking off to his room to call Jared. He flopped on his bed with Jared’s shirt in his hands and rolled to be able to look at the picture Jared sent him. He dialed the number and started counting rings.

On the fifth ring, Jared finally picked up.

“Hey there!” his voice rang through the phone.

“Hey!” Jensen was suddenly choked with emotion. He tried to swallow. “Hey.”

“Jensen? What’s wrong?” There was a sudden decrease in background noise behind Jared, and then the sound of a door closing. “Talk to me.”

Jensen swallowed and cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’m good.”

“You scared me.” Jared sounded relieved. “What happened?”

“I got your box today.”

“Oh! Yeah.” Jared laughed quietly. “That’s some picture isn’t it?”

“I love it. Please tell Gen thanks for taking it.”

“I will. She has some others that are closer, but I liked that one the best,” Jared said softly.

“You’ll have to show me the other ones when you get here. I’d like to see them.”

“Okay, but we need to take some where our eyes are actually open. I think that might be better than us drooling all over each other while we’re asleep.” Jensen smiled at the sound of Jared’s rich laughter.

“Yeah, maybe.” Jensen smiled, snuggling deeper into his bed. “So… tell me about your day.”

They chatted for about an hour and then said their goodnights. Jensen hung up the phone with a small smile on his face and climbed back off of his bed. He grabbed the photo and headed down to show it to his mom. During their conversation, Jared had asked if he’d shown it to anyone, and Jensen had answered that he wanted to keep it to himself. Jared had laughed and asked if Jensen was ashamed of him causing Jensen to feel the need to prove him wrong.

“Mama!” he called as he walked down the stairs. He turned the corner into the living room and saw his mom folding up a piece of paper and walking away from his dad. “Hey.”

“Hey Jens! I thought you were in bed already.” Donna sat on the love seat and tucked the paper into the pocket of her pants. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to show you something.” Jensen handed her the photo and watched her face as she looked at it. “That’s Jared.”

Donna’s eyes lit up, and she smiled softly. She stroked a finger across her son’s face in the photo as she noticed how relaxed and content he looked.

“I can’t tell too much about what he looks like, but you both seem very happy here.” She handed the photo to her husband. Alan took it and looked at the pair.

“He’s a big one!” Alan laughed as he handed the picture back to Jensen.

“Yes, sir. He’s like 6 foot 5 or something.” Jensen shrugged. “He’s a great guy, Dad. I’m looking forward to you getting to meet him. I think you’ll like him.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to it myself.” Alan tapped his fingers on his leg. “What does he do for a living?”

“He’s an engineer. Graduated in the top five percent of his class from UT Austin. And he’s funny. Kind. Sweet.”

“You don’t have to sell me on him, son.” Alan shifted in his chair as if he were uncomfortable. “I’m sure I’ll have a chance to come to my own decisions.”

“Dad. I’m not trying to sell him to you.” Jensen ran a hand over his face and huffed out a frustrated breath. He looked straight at his father and said, “Listen. I’m twenty-nine years old. For the last, I don’t know, ten years? I haven’t been on a date with anyone more than twice. I had a really crappy time, socially speaking, while I was in college. I’ve been living like a hermit with very few exceptions for the last six years. I haven’t had an opportunity to find someone that I could even entertain the thought of being serious about. Maybe I just want to enjoy the idea that I feel like this about someone for the first time in my life.” Jensen smiled sadly at his dad. “I just want to be able to talk about him, share him with you, because I like to think about him. And I want you to like him, too. Is that so wrong?”

“No, son.” Alan answered softly. “That’s not wrong.”

Donna reached over and patted Jensen on the leg. “Tell us about him, sweetheart.”

Jensen shifted on the sofa, cleared his throat and began to talk.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Jared’s alarm rang early Wednesday morning. He got up, dressed in his running clothes and took off. When he got back, he took a quick shower and then headed into the kitchen to put together one more breakfast for Genevieve. When he was finished cooking, he tapped on Gen’s door.

“Come in!” she called groggily.

“Hey, sunshine!” Jared opened the door and peeked in. “You gonna help me today?”

“What time is it?”

“Seven.” Jared smiled and opened the door a little bit more. “I made breakfast.”

Gen groaned in response.

“You want to ride with me to the U-Haul place to pick up my trailer?”

Gen groaned again. “Yeah, I guess. I love you, but right now I don’t like you.”

Jared moved to sit on her bed. He pushed her hair back from her face and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry, Little Bit. I made waffles. And bacon. We also have some fresh fruit.”

“You don’t play fair.” Gen responded swatting limply at his arm. “I’m getting up. Go do something productive.”

“Okay.” Jared laughed. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Eating.”

Genevieve wandered in a few minutes later and sat down. Jared placed her food in front of her and then made her a cup of coffee. He placed it in front of her, patted her on the shoulder and then sat down opposite her. After finishing his own plate, he headed back to his bedroom to start breaking down his bed. He stuffed his dirty sheets and his running clothes into his laundry bag, tipped his mattress off the bed, and started maneuvering it into the mattress bag. After a couple of minutes of fighting with it, he sighed his frustration and headed back toward the kitchen.

“I need help with the mattress, Gen,” he called as he got closer. As he turned the corner to enter the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks. Standing in the kitchen facing him were Scott, Tyson and Daneel with smiles on their faces. “Um…”

“You didn’t think we’d let you do this on your own, did you?” Daneel asked.

“Um…” Jared answered. “Actually, yeah.”

“Well, damn.” Scott responded. “That kinda hurts my feelings. How about you, Ty?”

“Yeah, it kinda does.” Tyson smirked. “Dee?”

Jared stood there with his mouth hanging open, looking from one face to the next. Suddenly, Genevieve was standing beside him, fully dressed and wearing a smile.

“Yeah,” Daneel responded. “But look how adorable he is when he gets confused.”

Genevieve grabbed his hand and squeezed. When he looked at her with wide, wet eyes, she smiled up at him. “We all love you, Jare. They didn’t want to let you go without saying goodbye. What better way to say it than by helping you load up the truck? This will help you get on the road even faster.”

“But…” Jared spluttered. “I don’t understand.”

“Jared,” Daneel spoke softly and crossed to where Jared was still standing, a bit dumbfounded. She held his hand in both of her own and looked him directly in the eye. “We care about you. We couldn’t let you leave without getting a chance to hang out one last time. And we all wanted to help. We’re all here for you.”

Jared pulled Daneel into a giant hug and squeezed her. She gasped out a little breath, and he began to apologize immediately. “Sorry, sorry! I know I squeeze too hard.”

“Wow!” Daneel laughed. “You give amazing hugs, Jared. I might not let you leave after all.”

“No way!” Tyson yelped. “I need his apartment.” Jared laughed aloud, and everyone smiled back at him.

 

Gen rode with Jared to pick up his cargo trailer while the other three broke down his bed and got everything closer to the door for easy removal. Once the trailer was in place, it was quick work getting everything loaded. Before he knew it, Jared was checking the connections once more between the trailer and his truck while Genevieve checked the contents to be sure that everything was stable. Jared lifted his eyes to look at the people standing around him. It seemed so long ago when they were standing in similar positions watching Jensen finalize his packing. Jared heaved a breath and looked at his friends.

“Guys?” Jared tugged once more and let go of the strap. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me out this morning. I hope this felt much easier than when we did this a few days ago.”

“How many days, Jared?” Gen asked with a smile.

“Eleven days, but who’s counting?” Jared laughed in return.

Daneel smiled and hugged him to her side. “Jared, you are alright with me.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.” Jared hugged her gently. “Come and visit me any time.”

“You betcha.” Dani whispered. She backed away and pointed a finger into his chest. “And you! Make sure Jensen calls me after you guys say hello to one another. I want to hear him.” Dani laughed.

“Jared!” Tyson called. “Don’t be a stranger. You know where I live.” Jared chuckled in return.

“Jared, I expect you to be here for my bachelor party. I’ll let you know where and when, my friend.” Scott called out. “And you have to help plan Gen’s bachelorette shindig. Since you’re the Maid of Honor.”

Gen and Jared both cracked up laughing at the looks on Daneel’s and Tyson’s faces.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Jared giggled, then sobered. “Seriously, though.” Jared said softly. “I didn’t expect this. It means a lot to me. Thanks.”

Hugs were given, promises were made, and Jared hopped into the cab and started his truck. He turned to Genevieve and looked her straight in the eye.

“Bye, Texas,” Genevieve whispered.

“See you soon,” he said seriously. She nodded and a tear rolled down her cheek. She blew him a kiss. He smiled back at her and winked. Scott put his arm around her and tugged her tightly to his side. Jared waved at all of them, dropped the truck into drive and pulled away.

 

When Jared stopped for lunch a couple of hours down the road, he sent a quick text to Jensen.

_Jared: How’s your first full day? Working hard?_

He didn’t expect an answer right away, so he made his order and waited patiently at the counter for his food. He situated himself at a table near the window so he could keep an eye on his vehicle. As he was squirting ketchup into his sandwich container for his fries, he got a return message.

_Jensen: Really good so far. Yeah, I actually am keeping busy._

_Jensen: I’ve had three clients already this morning._

_Jensen: I like my co-workers. They seem like good people so far._

_Jared: That’s great to hear. I’m glad you are settling in so well. Wish I was there._

_Jensen: Me too! Gotta get back. Talk to you soon!_

_Jared: Love you!_

_Jensen: Love you 2_

Jared smiled and began shoving his food in. He was hungry, and his waffle fries tasted so good. He started thinking about how he was going to keep Jensen from discovering what he was doing. The first night wasn’t going to be a problem. Jared was only going as far as Knoxville. For his second day, he was hoping to make it all the way to Little Rock. He could do it as long as he got an early start. He’d just have to give himself time and try to stay alert to his phone. Hopefully, Ms. Donna would help him out by keeping Jensen busy on her end. If Jensen was too busy to call, he wouldn’t wonder about the road noise behind Jared’s voice. Jared shoved in his last bite, licked his fingers, dumped his trash, and headed out the door.

 

Wednesday morning found Jensen putting on his brand new uniform shirt with his comfortable work pants to head into work for six thirty. One of his brand new clients, Michael Ramirez, was an upper level business executive who was recovering from a shoulder scope. He needed to have therapy early because he had to be at an eight o’clock meeting. Jensen was there in plenty of time and rearing to go.

His second client was a teenage girl who suffered a torn ACL from playing club soccer. She had just completed reconstructive surgery and was beginning her PT. The girl’s mother made sure to introduce herself and indicate that she would be in the waiting room, just on the other side of the big plate glass window. Jensen simply smiled at her and invited her to come into the therapy room with them if she wanted. There was a spot where she could sit and watch proceedings if that would make her more comfortable. She turned him down and sat reading a book throughout the appointment.

The girl, whose name was Melanie, laughed as they left her mother sitting in the waiting room. When Jensen asked what was so funny, she replied, “That was awesome. You put her in her place, but you were so cool about it. I’m sorry about that. She’s very protective.”

“Eh,” Jensen shrugged. “It’s nice that she loves you that much, right?”

“Of course. But it just cracks me up when people let her know she’s taken it too far. I can’t say anything about it. She just tells me that she wants what’s best for me.”

Jensen smiled at the girl and indicated where she should sit. He took her crutches and set them aside. He smiled as he said, “It’s nice to have someone looking out for you.”

He had a small break between clients two and three. Enough time to write up his notes for each of his first clients and re-familiarize himself with his next client. Then he had a quick snack because he wasn’t sure when he was going to be able to break for his lunch.

His third client of the day was suffering from a pinched nerve in his neck. The orthopedist wanted to try therapy before doing something more invasive. The guy was friendly but obviously in some discomfort. Once he was finished with the guy, Jensen had another break. He grabbed his phone and stepped out into the parking lot for some sunshine and fresh air. He took a brisk walk to get his blood flowing and did some stretches to loosen up his own muscles.

His co-worker, a woman named Ally, had asked if he could help her move some equipment before his next client arrived. He headed back in to see what needed to be done, but he couldn’t locate her. He double-checked his phone to see if he had any messages and noticed one from Jared. He quickly responded, and they texted back and forth for a minute before Jensen went in search of Ally again. Finally, he located her and they worked together to get everything moved.

The rest of his work day followed the same pattern until around five o’clock when it was time for him to head back to his parents’ house. He caught Aaron on the way out.

“Hey, Jensen!” Aaron called out. “How was the first full day?”

“Busy, but I enjoyed it. I think it’s a good fit for me here.”

“Excellent! Glad to hear it. Did we have you on a good pace? Right number of clients and downtime?”

“Yeah. I think it was a good balance. I was able to keep my notes current throughout the day. I had a chance to get a walk in to keep me focused and limber.”

“Good to hear. Ally told me that you jumped right in to help with that equipment she wanted moved. Thanks for that.”

“Sure. No problem.”

“Have a good night! See you in the morning.” Aaron waved and turned to leave.

“Yes, sir. See you!”

 

When he got home, his mom asked for some help with dinner. She set him to work on making the salad to go with their fried chicken. Jensen was in heaven. He had truly missed his mom’s cooking, and she was working through all of his favorites. As they worked, they chatted about his day, his mom asking all sorts of questions about co-workers and clients. Then his mom told him that Mackenzie was planning to be home for the weekend. Jensen realized that he hadn’t seen his sister in a really long time. Being able to sit and talk with her again was certainly something to look forward to for the weekend. Something else to keep his mind occupied.

“She bringing that guy she’s been dating?” Jensen asked.

“Ryan? She didn’t mention him. I’m not sure.” Donna smiled. “I’ll have to ask her.”

“I thought his name was Jackson.” Jensen muttered.

“How long has it been since you’ve spoken to your sister, Jensen?” His mom laughed. “Jackson was two boyfriends ago. I worry about that girl. At this rate, I’ll never get any grandkids.”

Jensen laughed and gave his mom a hug. “Well, I can almost guarantee that with me and Jared you’re gonna at least have some grand-dogs.”

“I’ll take what I can get, honey. Just give me something to cuddle and be able to love on.” Donna grinned.

“Yes, ma’am!” Jensen replied, grinning back.

 

After dinner, Jensen helped out with the dishes and sat chatting with his dad for a few minutes before heading up to bed. It was later than he had planned by the time he called Jared. He was a little worried that he hadn’t heard from Jared already. Usually there was at least a text message by this time.

He closed his bedroom door and sat on his bed before dialing the number. While it rang, he pulled Jared’s shirt out of the Ziploc bag and held it under his nose. When the phone went to voicemail, Jensen began to get really worried.

“Jay? It’s me. I hope you’re okay. Call me when you can.” Jensen hung up after leaving the message and closed his eyes for a minute. When his phone beeped, he sat up and checked.

_Jared: Sorry I was in the shower. Give me a minute. I’m drying off._

Jensen laughed at himself for being a worry wort again and started to change into some shorts. When his phone rang, he dived onto the bed to pick it up.

“Hey!” Jensen panted into the phone.

“Whoa, did I catch you at a bad time?” Jared laughed.

“No. I was changing when the phone rang. I had to hurry to get to it.”

“I see.” Jared cleared his throat. “How was your day?”

The conversation flowed like it always did between them. Jared sounded tired, but Jensen figured that was due to the packing and organizing he had been doing to get his apartment ready to move. Jensen told him a little bit about his clients and his co-workers. Jared asked questions and listened quietly. When Jensen asked a question, Jared gave brief answers and turned the conversation back to Jensen.

Finally, Jensen asked, “What’s going on? Why aren’t you telling me much about what you’ve done today?”

Jared laughed and said, “Because you’re the one who started a new job and is back with his family after so long. I’m still doing what I’ve been doing. Y’know? Boring!”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Jensen let it go. “How’s Gen?”

“Gen’s good. Still sad that I’m leaving, but she told me that she wants me to wear a lavender gown for the wedding. What in the world?”

“She’s still set on making you her Maid of Honor, huh?” Jensen laughed. “I don’t think lavender is your color though. You’ll have to convince her to use some other color.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do. I mean, she plans to get married in the spring, but lavender? Come on! There’s gotta be a manlier color than that for me to wear.”

“I notice you aren’t fighting the idea of wearing a gown.” Jensen smirked.

Jared’s full belly laugh came rolling through the phone line, and Jensen couldn’t help but laugh along. “Ah! Now you’ve discovered my secret. I’ve always wanted to be a drag queen.” Jared laughed.

“Hey, I know some people. We can arrange that.” Jensen stated with a straight face.

“No! No, no, no! That’s quite okay. That is one vision no one needs to have.”

“You never know. It might be nice. You did okay for me in your room that day.” Jensen laughed.

“I’ll never live that down.” Jared moaned.

The conversation continued for another half an hour or so before Jared said he needed to go. He was an hour ahead of Jensen after all. He needed to get some sleep so that he would be prepared for the next day. Jensen agreed and explained that he had been up early and was quite tired himself. They started to say their goodbyes when Jared suddenly got really quiet.

“Jay? What’s wrong?” Jensen asked quietly.

“I miss you. I don’t want to get off the phone, but I know I need to.”

“I know. I feel it too.”

“Well, it won’t be as long as it has been.” Jared whispered. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

“Two and a half more weeks. We can do it.” Jensen whispered in return.

“Yeah, we can do it.” Jared said with a smile in his voice. “Good night, Jen.”

“Good night, Jay.”

 

Jared hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed. He flopped backwards with his arms stretched out to the sides. “That was a close one,” he laughed.

After his long drive that day, Jared had grabbed some dinner from the restaurant in the same parking lot as his hotel. Then he had decided to take a walk around the neighborhood surrounding the hotel. Unfortunately, he got turned around and had trouble finding his way back. The good news was that he finally figured it out and got back just fine. The bad news was he was still just outside, near the highway noise, when Jensen called. This caused him to sprint up two flights of stairs before he came up with the shower excuse. After a quick text, he walked to his room, got his breathing under control and gave Jensen a call. Now he really did need to hop in the shower.

As Jared got ready for bed, he laughed at himself for not coming up with some excuse while he was outside and just answering the phone. This keeping secrets for the sake of a surprise was difficult. It was so hard to avoid topics and make excuses with Jensen. He was already used to just telling him the truth about everything. Jared climbed into bed with his Jensen pillow and finally fell asleep.

 

Jared immediately found himself walking through the front door of the little house that his grandfather showed him. The air behind him was rich with the scent of roses, and he smiled as he closed the door behind him. He noticed that the furniture in the living room area had changed a bit. The rocking chair was still there, but it was now sitting at the end of a comfortable looking brown leather sofa. There was an oversized armchair at the opposite end of the sofa. The coffee table and the end tables were made from a rich dark wood and had leather accents. It had the right mix of comfort, masculinity, and style. Jared felt comfortable instantly.

He paused as he heard Texas-style blues music playing throughout the house, and he could hear Jensen’s rich voice singing along to the sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Jared followed the sound to find its source. He wandered down a hall and found himself standing in the doorway of a reasonable-sized office space. Jensen was sweeping the dark colored wooden floor while singing and dancing around with his broom. Jared leaned against the doorframe and just watched for a minute. When Jensen noticed him, he continued singing and walked straight up to Jared. He leaned the broom against the wall and held his hand out to Jared.

“'Cause the way we kiss.... Just can't miss. Don't make me wait to feel your warm embrace,” Jensen sang looking deeply into Jared’s eyes with a big smile on his face. Jared could feel himself smiling right back. “Each and every time that we get the chance, come on little baby let's make some romance.”

Jared took his hand and the two began to shuffle step around the office. Jensen tried to spin Jared and they got all tangled up and cracked up laughing. Once they got their arms straightened out, Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen and just held him close. Jensen continued laughing and put his hands on Jared’s backside. He pulled Jared closer and started dancing with him again. Jared giggled and followed Jensen’s lead.

They continued until the end of the song when Jensen leaned up toward Jared. He wrapped his arms around Jared’s neck and whispered, “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Jared woke with a huge smile on his face. He buried his face in his Jensen pillow for a minute and just relived the last few moments of his dream. Finally, he got himself in motion. He was ready to go quickly and grabbed a quick breakfast from the hotel’s buffet before hopping into the cab of his truck. He couldn’t wait to get to Jensen and get on with his new life.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Donna was standing by the sink in the kitchen when Jensen made his way down Thursday morning. She was humming quietly to herself as she worked on chopping mushrooms and onions.

“Whatcha doin’, mama?” Jensen rumbled.

“Making some breakfast.”

“Whatcha makin’, mama?” Jensen grinned. This was a game they played when he was a little boy.

“Food,” she answered with a grin of her own.

“What kinda food, mama?”

“The kind you eat, silly rabbit.” Donna chuckled before returning to her task. “Omelet with mushrooms and onions. I got some country sausage too.”

“Special occasion?” Jensen asked, as he draped an arm over her shoulders.

“Yeah, my son came back home after way too long.” Donna turned to look at Jensen. “I figured since you have a little extra time this morning, I could make you something yummy.”

“Well, I appreciate it. Can I help?”

“No, baby. Have a seat and wake up. There’s coffee if you want it.”

“Where’s dad?” Jensen poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table.

“He’s up in his office, getting a little work done.”

“How is he doing with all of this?” Jensen asked quietly.

“All of what, sweetheart?”

“Me being home. My past. Me being gay. Jared. All of that.” Jensen sipped his coffee as if it was no big deal. As if her answer wasn’t extremely important.

“Jensen,” Donna put her knife down and turned to fully face her son. “Your father loves you. He’s proud of who you are. He just isn’t comfortable showing it. He’s not the type to be demonstrative. You know this. You know he has always been a man of few words.”

“I know. It’s just…sometimes I’m not sure what he’s thinking. Or if he really ever fully accepted me.” Jensen looked up shyly at his mom. “He was a rock star for me that day of the family reunion, y’know? But I’ve just never been sure about how open he’ll be to seeing me showing affection for another man.”

“Oh, Jensen.” Donna moved to her son’s side and put her hand on his shoulder. “As long as you are hap…”

“Really?” Jensen asked, cutting his mother off. “How are you so sure? I mean, did he say that? Have you guys spoken about it?”

“No, we haven’t spoken about it in a long time. But we did when you first told him.” Donna sat in the chair closest to Jensen. She put her hand on top of his where it sat beside his coffee cup. “He loves you, J.R. That’s the important part of all of this.”

“It’s just… A few days after that crap-fest, he told me that he loved me no matter what. And that was awesome, but he never told me that he was okay with who I was. I don’t know… Maybe I’m splitting hairs, but it seems like a big difference to me. Standing up for me in front of the family is one thing. But being okay with seeing me holding hands with Jared, or giving him a kiss, or snuggling up on the couch. Those are very different things. And I just don’t know how he’s gonna respond to that.”

“Neither do I,” Alan’s voice sounded from behind Jensen.

“Ah, crap!” Jensen whispered.

Alan walked in and sat down at the table on Jensen’s other side. He cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the table. Alan was quiet for a minute while Jensen fidgeted. “Listen, son.” He looked up and faced Jensen. “I have no idea how I’m gonna handle this situation. I’d like to think I wouldn’t react one way or another because you are entitled to love whoever you love. I believe that. But…I’m from a different generation. A different mindset. A generation that wasn’t as demonstrative about their affections as people are nowadays. Add to that the fact that I haven’t spent a lot of time around same-sex couples. I have no idea what I’m gonna do or how I’m gonna feel.”

Jensen nodded. “I’m sorry to doubt you, sir. But I don’t want to have to edit myself around you. I want to be able to do what feels natural without worrying about how you’re gonna respond.”

“I understand. I want that for you too. But honestly? That’s up to you.” Alan gave Jensen a half-smile. “I want you to be happy and to be yourself. I’m very proud of the man you’ve become. But whether or not you edit yourself, or change your behavior around me is your choice. You know your own mind. And obviously you are willing to stand up for what you need.”

“Yes, sir. I can’t be anything less for myself or for Jared.”

“Well. I can’t argue with that.” Alan smiled.

“He makes me want to be a better man, dad. He’s been through so much, and he deserves the best.”

“Let me be absolutely clear here, son.” Alan paused and cleared his throat. “I love you. I don’t say it much, but it’s the truth. I know that for you your sexuality is important. And you want to be sure that how you feel is legitimized by those who are important to you. But for me, your sexuality is just a small part of who you are. It doesn’t really factor in to how I feel about you or what I want for you. And I honestly don’t care who you love. As long as the person you choose is worthy of you and loves you in return. I want you to be fulfilled, respected and loved the way you deserve to be loved. I want you to find the right companion. That’s all.”

“Thanks, dad. I love you, too.” Jensen said through a tight throat. He blinked a few times to try to clear up the moisture in his eyes. “Well, that was a lot heavier than I needed before my first full cup of coffee.”

“Me too.” Alan responded seriously. “So…how about those Rangers?”

Donna and Jensen laughed and the tension in the room eased. Donna gave Jensen a quick kiss on the cheek and squeezed her husband’s hand before heading back over to her work space to finish up breakfast. Talk over breakfast was light and easy, and Jensen felt much better about things when he left for work.

 

Jared discovered that Tennessee was an easy drive once he got past the eastern portion of the state. This gave him lots of time to think. Which was a good thing in theory. It should have given him time to process everything that had been happening recently and prepare him for what lay ahead. The problem was that his mind kept throwing random negativity at him. Things like: what if Jensen’s parents hate him? What if Jared hates living in the Dallas area? What if Jensen changes his mind? What if Jared gets into a horrible crash on this trip and becomes disfigured? What if Jensen takes one look at him after that and doesn’t want anything to do with him? They all seemed improbable, but those negative thoughts were persistent. Jared was ready to get on with his life, ready to see Jensen, and he had no place in his mind for the negativity. The dream he had awoken from that morning was something he wanted to become reality as soon as possible.

Jared was halfway across Tennessee when he was hit with a full-fledged panic attack. He hadn’t had one since his parents’ house, and he was blindsided. He tried to focus and breathe until he could get his truck off the highway and was lucky enough to quickly find a wide shoulder he could use. After he got the truck stopped, he tried unsuccessfully to get his breathing under control, attempting to push the latest negative thought from his mind. He just kept repeating _no, no, no, no,_ as he struggled, trying to get his phone out of his pocket. Finally, he yanked it free.

He speed-dialed Jensen’s number and gasped for breath, waiting for Jensen to pick up.

“Jay! Hey!”  Jensen’s harried voice came across the line.

“Jen!” Jared gasped. “Help me.”

“Jay?” Jensen questioned. “Jay, what’s wrong?”

“Can’t… breathe. Jen.” Jared’s vision was beginning to darken around the edges.

“Okay, Jay. Listen to me. Listen to my voice. Take a slow breath and concentrate.” Jensen began calmly. After counting and getting Jared to breathe with him until Jared could breathe calmly on his own, Jensen asked, “You okay now? Jay, what happened?”

“I’m not sure. I was fine, but then I started thinking about how far away you are. And how quickly things can change. And how much I just want to get on with my life. To be with you again. I couldn’t breathe. Jensen, I hate this. I hate that you are so far away. I don’t like being away from you like this. I’m so close, but I _feel_ so far away.”

“I know. It sucks, Jay. But it’s not as long as it has been. We’ll be together before you know it.”

Jared wiped his eyes where they were leaking leftover panic tears and rested his forehead against the steering wheel. His hands shook with the after effects of the attack. Then he realized what time it was. “Aw shit! I’m calling you at work. I’m sorry.”

“No, Jay. You’re fine. I just finished up with someone, and I have a few minutes before my next client. I was actually on my way outside for a quick walk when you called. I’m glad I could pick up.”

“Ah. Me too.” Jared replied, feeling a bit foolish. “Well, I’ll let you go. I don’t want to keep you if you’re trying to relax.”

“No way.” Jensen’s firm reply sounded through the phone. “I want to talk to you. Every chance I get until you are standing in front of me again.”

“Okay.” Jared replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

“So how’s work going?” Jensen asked with a smile in his voice.

“Moving forward. Getting close.” Jared took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I had another dream about you last night.”

“Oh yeah? Was it a good one?”

“Of course!” Jared smiled. “You were singing to me, and we were dancing together. It was pretty awesome.” Jensen laughed and Jared relaxed even further, another deep breath released more tension.

“What was I singing?”

“Stevie Ray Vaughn. I think it was ‘Honey Bee.’ You know that one?” Jared asked.

“Naturally! What self-respecting Texas boy doesn’t know Stevie?” Jensen playfully demanded.

Jared laughed. He could hear Jensen take a deep breath on the other end and knew that they were both feeling much better now. They continued to chat until Jensen needed to get back to work. Jared closed his phone and laid it down on the seat beside him. He took one last deep breath before putting his truck in gear and getting back on the highway. Everything was going to be just fine.

 

Jensen headed out to the ranch in the early afternoon after his half day at work to see if he could borrow a horse again. He hadn’t ridden in years, and he realized how much he had truly missed it. He remembered being able to spend a few weeks out at the ranch during the summers with Josh when they were little. Grandma Rose would bake cookies and apple pies. Grandpa George would make them work in the barn, brushing down the horses, spreading hay, checking the horses’ hooves for cracks. Then on Saturdays they could take a ride out over the land. They would go swimming in the pond, camp out under the stars. It was a great way to be a kid. Jensen missed those days when he felt protected, back before he knew himself.

After getting clearance to ride out on Baby, a beautiful black filly, Jensen headed out toward the pond where he had learned how to swim. As he felt the power of the horse moving beneath him, he allowed his mind to roam through whatever and wherever it needed to go. This was his chance to work through anything that was still hanging over his head. He had cleared the air with his father, his mother, and his brother. Now he needed to see if there was anything left that he needed to let go of for himself. He wanted to be in a good place mentally when Jared got there in a couple of weeks.

He thought back to when he first discovered that he wasn’t like his friends, and how that had affected his relationships with them while he worked through what that meant. He had been confused about how his body was reacting at first. He remembered being so careful in the locker room in junior high when he was on the baseball team, trying not to look at the other boys around him. He had ended up quitting baseball in order to keep his secret a little bit longer. His dad had questioned his decision at the time, but he ultimately didn’t press the issue. Jensen had gone back to baseball after fully accepting who he was, so he only missed a year.

He thought back to his first crush and smiled. Sebastian Rodriguez was the perfect choice at the time. He was a year older than Jensen and was also on the baseball team. Seb had kept his dark, wavy hair longer than most of the other guys. He was tall and thin, but he was also fast on the bases. He was a genuinely nice guy, too. Jensen recalled the main things that had drawn him to Seb; he’d had beautiful hair and dimples, and a gorgeous smile. Jensen chuckled as the wind whipped past him. He had always been a sucker for dimples and pretty hair.

Jared’s smile popped into his head, and Jensen allowed himself the opportunity to recall every detail of Jared’s face. He could see the small mole on the left of Jared’s cute, pointed nose, the perfectly shaped lips, the beautiful bright smile, and his amazing, tip-tilted, multi-colored eyes. Jensen found himself smiling as he rode along. He could hear Jared’s laugh in his mind and recalled the feel of his soft hair. He couldn’t wait to see Jared again, but he found that it helped comfort him to recall the details that made Jared who he was. It made Jared feel closer.

The phone call from Jared earlier in the day had really freaked Jensen out. If anything happened to Jared and Jensen wasn’t able to help him through it, it would kill him. Jared was such a sweet soul, so caring and funny. He didn’t ask for anything but accepted everything with grace and humility. He just needed to get here.

As he arrived at the pond, Jensen slowed Baby down to a walk. He swung himself out of the saddle and stroked the soft hair along the horse’s neck for a minute. He walked Baby slowly over to a shady spot full of grass along one side of the pond. He removed the bridle to allow Baby to graze, and the saddle to give her back a break, and then lowered himself to the ground to rest.

He sat, watching the water ripple in the breeze, while he thought about what his mom had said about him punishing himself for things that weren’t his fault. Jensen played with a blade of grass and contemplated what life would look like without that sense of guilt. He thought about how he had been blaming himself for what Trent had done to him, and the guilt he carried for being different from the rest of his family. He thought about Ms. Maybelle telling him he needed to forgive himself for walking away from Jared. He thought about all of the times he didn’t allow himself to make new friends because he was afraid of what they might discover about him, how he felt like he wasn’t good enough. He had told Jared that he wasn’t apologizing for who he was, and he truly wasn’t. But it was also true that he wasn’t allowing himself to fully live either or to really be his true self. His mom was right. Ms. Maybelle was right. He needed to forgive himself and let go of the guilt and the unwarranted punishment for things he had no control over and things that were in the past.

It was a hard, cold fact. Jensen was a homosexual. That wasn’t his fault, nor was it something he needed to be apologetic about. It was simply the way he was born. Trent had taken advantage of him, in a lot of different ways, but that wasn’t something that Jensen needed to feel guilt over. It wasn’t something that he had done. It was something that had been done to him. There were members of his extended family who would never accept him or whom he loved. But he was in love with Jared Padalecki, one of the best men alive, and anyone who couldn’t accept that could live without him in their world. It was a choice they would have to make. He certainly would never apologize for loving a man who was that beautiful on the inside and the outside. That was that. No more holding back. He took a deep breath, looked up at the beautiful sky above him, and he let it all go.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Jared finally rolled into a hotel in Little Rock at about six thirty that evening. He was worn down from the driving and the panic attack, but he had still made great time. About twenty minutes after the attack and the phone call to Jensen, Jared had stopped for a break, needing a little time to get his mind back in working order. He was back on the road again after an hour of sitting in a park somewhere in the middle of Tennessee. During that hour, Jared had resolved two things. One: he needed to get rid of some of the tension in his life. He had to find a way to let some of his history go. Two: once this trip was complete, he didn’t want to make any other long road trips without a co-pilot. It had been a difficult day.

After he got checked-in, he ordered a pizza to be delivered. He got his bags situated in his room and then headed back down to the lobby to wait for his delivery. Now the empty pizza box was sitting on the desk on the other side of the room, and Jared was lounging in his rented bed. He was trying to relax away some of the stress before calling Jensen, so he was singing Depeche Mode lyrics under his breath. He had no idea how Depeche Mode had gotten stuck in his head. But he had a suspicion that Jensen would be able to hear any stress in his voice when they spoke, so he wanted to be sure he was completely recovered from the panic attack.

“I stop and I stare too much. Afraid that I care too much,” he mumbled. “And I hardly dare to touch, for fear that the spell may be broken.” His fingers tapped out the rhythm of the song as he sang softly.

When his phone began to ring, he shot straight up in the bed, completely unprepared for the sound to permeate his quiet place. He shook his head for the abrupt reaction and laughed a little as he located his phone.

“Way to be relaxed, Jare,” he said before checking the caller ID. It was Jensen. He quickly opened his phone and pressed the answer button. “Hey, Jen!”

“Jay!” Jensen’s voice sounded down the line. “Are you busy?”

“Nope. Just trying to relax a little bit before heading to bed.” Jared answered. “How are you?”

“I’m actually really good.” Jensen answered. Jared noticed a new, calm tone to his voice and began to wonder what was going on. “I had a good afternoon.”

“Well, uh… that’s great, Jensen.” Jared sounded confused to his own ears. “What happened?”

“I went for a ride on one of the horses at the Foundation, helped me clear my head. I made some realizations. I feel better about some things.”

“Oh?” Jared questioned. “Anything you need to tell me?”

“Um…,” Jensen started. Jared began to get a little bit worried. Here he was sitting in a hotel room after driving for two days to get to Jensen, and now Jensen may have changed his mind. “First of all, I love you. You need to know that.”

Jared huffed out a little breath and shook his head. “I love you, too.”

“I, uh… I just had some things that have been weighing me down for a while. I had a good talk with my mom the other day, and she brought some things to my attention. Today, I finally got the chance to really process what she said. I also had a pretty good talk with my dad this morning before work. I’m starting to let go of some things that I’ve held onto for too damn long. I feel lighter. I feel good.”

“That’s great, Jensen. I’m really glad to hear it.” Jared smiled into the phone. “You want to tell me about any of it?”

“Not right now.” Jensen responded. “I will, but I don’t want to spend time talking about that right now.”

“Okay,” Jared answered. “I’ll be ready when you are.”

“I know, Jay.” Jensen paused. “Just know that this makes me better for you. Okay?”

“Okay.” Jared sighed. “I trust you.”

“How are you feeling? You really scared me earlier today.” Jensen changed the subject smoothly.

“I’m better. Still reeling a little bit. My brain seems to want to play tricks on me today.”

“Jay, don’t listen to the negative thoughts. We’ll be together in a couple more weeks, and I’ll get to show you how much I miss you. How much I love you. It’ll be great. We just need to get through these next several days, and we’ll be good.”

“Yeah,” Jared smiled with the secret knowledge that he would be there much sooner than Jensen thought possible. “I can’t wait to hold you and kiss you.”

“Stop!” Jensen laughed. “Don’t torture me, man!”

They both laughed, and the conversation continued for a while before they both started yawning. After saying their good nights, they hung up. Jared flopped back on the bed with only one thought running through his head. Tomorrow he would have Jensen in his arms again.

 

Jensen woke up and got moving early the next morning. He had an appointment at 6:30 again and wanted to be sure his work area was ready to go. He grabbed a travel mug full of coffee and a yogurt at the house before heading out. He knew he would be able to get something from the little health food store down the street when he got hungry later. He just needed something to get him going this morning.

The drive in was uneventful, thankfully. He was seeing the same clients he had seen on Wednesday morning. Mr. Ramirez, the businessman with the shoulder scope, was feeling a little stiff, and it took a little extra time to get him through his exercises. Melanie, however, was ready to go when she got in. She seemed to really enjoy Jensen’s company and was willing to work hard to get her strength and mobility back. Her mother sat in the waiting room with her book in hand again. Next was Mr. Fredrickson and his pinched nerve. Jensen could tell that he hadn’t been performing the exercises that Jensen had prescribed. He made sure to reiterate that if Mr. Fredrickson wanted to avoid surgery, he needed to follow through on his self-care.

After about three hours, Jensen got a bit of a break and headed outside for some fresh air. He grabbed his cell phone on the way out. Before he reached the front door, Aaron stopped him with a smile and a wave of his hand. Jensen followed Aaron back to his office where he was waved into a seat across the desk from Aaron.

“Something wrong?” Jensen asked with a smile.

“Just checking in with you.” Aaron smiled in return. “You’re completing your first week, so I’m just making sure everything is going smoothly for you.”

“Oh!” Jensen relaxed a bit. “Everything is going pretty great from my side of things. No complaints from me. I like it here.”

“Great! That’s good to hear.” Aaron smiled and then cleared his throat. “I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned it or not… We usually have a happy hour together on Fridays. Somebody picks a place, and we all show up when we get clear of our clients for the day. Gives us a chance to unwind and share notes about things, get some questions answered, find a new approach if something needs tweaking. That sort of thing. You interested?”

“Probably.” Jensen tilted his head in thought. “What time are we talking?”

“Usually we head out of here around five, but some people don’t make it until closer to six.” Aaron grinned with a twinkle in his eye. “You gotta rush home to the wife or something?”

“Uh, no.” Jensen shook his head. “No wife. I, uh… my boyfriend hasn’t moved out here yet from D.C. We try to talk every night, so I’ll just have to let him know what time I’ll be available.”

“Oh,” Aaron replied. He looked down at his hands, cleared his throat, and then looked back up at Jensen. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make assumptions.”

“No problem.” Jensen answered. “As long as we’re good.”

“We’re good.” Aaron replied seriously before a mischievous smile crossed his face. “Ally might be a bit bummed out though.”

Jensen threw his head back in laughter, and Aaron quickly joined in.

When Jensen finally made it outside to get his fresh air, he noticed a text message from Jared that was about an hour old.

_Jared: Good morning, sunshine!_

_Jensen: Hey there! Hope you’re feeling better today!_

_Jensen: No more pesky-brain?_

When he didn’t get an immediate response, he tucked his phone in his pocket and started walking toward the little grocery store. He needed to find his lunch soon or his stomach was going to start eating itself.

 

Jared woke up and got moving somewhat early the next morning. He had about five hours left before he could get to Richardson, and he wanted to get situated in the best way possible to surprise Jensen. He grabbed breakfast from the hotel buffet and hit the road. After about an hour on the road, he pulled in to a rest stop and called Ms. Donna.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Ms. Donna. This is Jared.”

“Good morning, sweetheart. How is everything going? Are you getting close?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jared answered with a smile. “I’m about four hours out.”

“Okay. Here’s what we’ve got.” Donna began to lay out her plan of getting Jared to head straight to the ranch in order to unload his big items and boxes. She gave him the address and then some basic directions to get him close. She then said that when they were finished unloading, she would drive him down to the family home in Richardson, so Jared’s vehicle wouldn’t give him away too soon. “That way he won’t know what’s coming until he sees you.”

“That sounds great, Ms. Donna.” Jared laughed. “Thank you for your help with this. I really do appreciate it.”

“No problem, Jared.” Donna sounded excited. “Just call me when you get close, so I can guide you in if you need extra help, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am. I will.”

Before Jared made his way back onto the highway, he shot off a quick text to Jensen to say good morning. When he didn’t get an immediate response, he set off down the road with the expectation that he would get to check his phone again soon.

 

When he finally stopped again to grab a water and a quick snack, Jared checked his phone to see Jensen’s answering text message. He smiled as he read what Jensen had written.

_Jensen: Hey there! Hope you’re feeling better today!_

_Jensen: No more pesky-brain?_

_Jared: Nope! I’m feeling pretty good today._

_Jared: How about you?_

_Jared: Sorry for the late response. Trying to get some work taken care of._

After waiting for a few extra minutes to see if he would get a response, he got rolling again.

 

As he began to see the signs alerting him to Richardson’s proximity, he made a call to Ms. Donna again to let her know he was close. She said she was already out at the ranch and for him to come on in. He followed the directions she had given him earlier, and before he knew it, he was driving up the very long driveway to the ranch house that Jensen had told him about. He pulled over to the side of the driveway and took in the view. He felt his mouth hanging open, and told himself he’d better get his shit together. He was about to meet Jensen’s family. He needed to be on his game. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and threw the truck in drive.

As he neared the house, he could see a woman on the front porch. When he slowed down, she descended the stairs and waved at him. He leaned forward to get closer to the windshield and waved back, bringing the truck to a stop. She made her way to the side of the truck, and he rolled his window down in order to speak with her. As she got closer, he could see her bright green eyes and noticed a slight reddish tint to her shoulder length blonde hair.

“Hey there!” he called out. “You must be Ms. Donna.”

“And you must be Jared. Pleasure to finally meet you.” Donna grinned a crooked grin and tapped her hand against the truck door. “You must be tired of sitting in that thing. Follow the driveway back around the house toward the barns. I’ll meet you back there.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jared smiled in return. He waited for her to head back up the stairs before starting the trek to the back of the house. His eyes kept moving on the way back, trying to take in as much of the area as possible. Jensen had told him about this place, but it looked much more impressive and intimidating in person. He muttered, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

As he pulled closer to the barns, he could see Ms. Donna and a man standing to the side of the roadway. The man was about 5 foot 11, stocky and had a round face. As Jared put the truck in park, the man threw his arm around Donna’s shoulder. Jared thought, “That must be Josh.” Then another man came toward them from the house. This one was older and was wearing a serious expression on his face. Jared put his truck in park and killed the engine. “And that…must be Mr. Ackles.” Jared’s shoulders fell. “Shit.”

Jared took a deep breath, and opened his truck door.

 

Jensen was done with his fifth client of the day when he next got a chance to check his phone. He was walking through the little park just down the road from the office when he saw that Jared had finally answered his text from earlier.

_Jared: Nope! I’m feeling pretty good today._

_Jared: How about you?_

_Jared: Sorry for the late response. Trying to get some work taken care of._

He walked a bit and thought about telling Jared that he was going out with his work friends tonight. He wasn’t even sure how he felt about going. It had been a really long week, and he wanted to just go home. On the other hand, he felt like he should spend time getting to know his co-workers. It was just the first time that he was doing this, and he wanted to think about how Jared would take it before making any sort of statement. Finally, he decided to just tell him.

_Jensen: Hey! No problem! Some days are like that._

_Jensen: I’ve been invited to go for drinks after work with the gang._

_Jensen: Apparently they do this every Friday. Just found out today._

_Jensen: Anyway! I might not be home when we talk. Or it’ll be later than planned._

He was just about to put his phone away when it buzzed in his hand.

_Jared: Oh! Okay. Have fun! You can call when you get home if you want._

_Jensen: Well, I guess so. If that’s okay with you._

_Jared: Yeah. That’s fine. I’ll talk to you later, I guess._

Jensen rubbed his hand over his face and flipped his phone closed. That was a weird response from Jay. He sounded disappointed. Jensen shook his head and kept walking.

 

Jared opened his truck door and began to unfold himself from the seat. He took a moment to stretch out his back before turning to his hosts. He looked over to the waiting Ackles and saw Josh’s face change from a smile into a shocked expression. Jared didn’t know what that meant, but he straightened his spine even more and made his way over to them. As he reached them, he held his hand out to Mr. Ackles and said, “Hello, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jared.”

Mr. Ackles nodded and shook his hand. “You can call me Alan. It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Jared.”

Jared turned to Mrs. Ackles and smiled. “May I hug you, Ms. Donna?”

“Get over here!” she grinned up at him and reached toward him. He leaned in and gave her a huge hug, grinning the entire time. “It’s a pleasure to meet you face-to-face, Jared.” Donna said sweetly in his ear. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about you.”

Jared then turned to Josh and said, “Hi! You must be Joshua. I’m Jared. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Uh…,” Josh said taking Jared’s outstretched hand to shake, and blinked. “Holy shit! You’re tall!”

Jared laughed as Donna smacked Josh’s arm. Then she said, “That’s no way to greet your brother’s boyfriend, Joshua Ackles! I know I raised you better than that.”

Josh grinned in bemused pleasure and said, “Sorry, mama, but have you seen him?”

Jared laughed again and took his hand back.

“Sorry, Jared.” Josh said with a grin. “J.R. forgot to tell me you were the Jolly Green Giant.”

“That’s okay, man.” Jared smiled in return. “He forgot to tell me that you were a leprechaun.”

Donna giggled and Josh laughed out loud. Mr. Ackles grinned and patted Josh on the back.

“Come on, Jared.” Donna said, taking his arm. “Let’s get some of this stuff unpacked.”

They set to work and got most of Jared’s things stashed in the barn before Alan mentioned that he needed to get a bit more work done if he planned to be home early for dinner. Donna squeezed his arm as he headed back toward the house. Jared watched him go and then smiled at Donna when she caught his eye.

“He’s a man of few words, Jared.” Donna explained. Jared nodded and went back to moving his stuff into the barn.

Once they got everything sorted, Donna, Josh, and Jared decided that snacks were in order. They situated themselves around the kitchen table chatting and refueling when Jared’s phone buzzed. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Jensen. After checking the message, his face paled and he shifted in his chair a bit. He quickly typed in an answer and then closed his phone.

“Ms. Donna, we have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” she answered immediately.

“Jensen has been invited to go out with his co-workers tonight after work. I guess it’s a Friday thing for the group. He just told me he might be calling me from there instead of when he gets home tonight.” Jared looked at Jensen’s mom with worried eyes. He felt devastated that after all of his work and the hours spent driving that he wouldn’t be able to see Jensen as soon as he thought he would.

“No, no, no.” Donna answered with a determined look in her eyes. “We’ll fix this, Jared. Don’t worry! Let’s finish getting you fed, and then we’ll get your rental turned in. I’ll figure something out, I promise.”

 

When four thirty rolled around, Jensen had just finished with his last client and was getting ready to type up some of his notes for the day. He found himself still debating whether he wanted to head back home and get changed first or just go on to the bar. He had a sneaking suspicion that if he went home first, he wouldn’t make it back out tonight. He was tired, and he really just wanted to talk to Jared. He had just opened his client file when his cellphone buzzed with an incoming call.

After checking the caller ID, he flipped his phone open.

“Mama?”

“Hey, baby! I’m not disturbing you am I?”

“No, ma’am.  I’m just getting ready to type up my notes for the day, so I’m free for a minute. What’s wrong?”

“I just called to see what time you’re heading home tonight.” His mom sounded excited. “I want to have dinner ready for you.”

“Oh!” Jensen answered, trying to figure out what was going on. “I’m not sure I’ll make it. My co-workers are doing a happy hour thing tonight, and they invited me to join them.”

“Oh no!” Donna sounded sad. “I’m making chicken fried steak to celebrate your first week at work. I was hoping you would be here.”

“Aw man! I’m sorry, mama!”

“No big deal, I guess. I’ll just put it all back in the fridge, and we can do it tomorrow.”

“Mama.” Jensen tried.

“I’m not sure about the potatoes though. They tend to go funny in the fridge overnight.”

“Mama?”

“The breading might go soft too. The greens should be okay though.”

“Hey, mama!” Jensen tried again. When she was quiet for a moment, he continued. “I was still debating about going anyway. I’ll just come home.”

“No! Jensen, if you want to go with your friends, go. I’ll make it another time.”

“No, mama.” Jensen answered with a bit more confidence. “I’ll come home. It’s short notice for me anyway. I wasn’t really prepared. I want to talk to Jared, and they do this all the time. I’ll have another chance.”

“If you’re sure?”

“I’m sure. I’ll just let them know I’ll see them next time. I’m kinda tired, y’know? It’s been a long week.”

“Okay. But now I feel bad.” Donna said.

“No way! I’ll see you soon. I’ll be leaving here in about twenty minutes.”

“Alright, baby. Do you want biscuits, too?”

“You know me too well.” Jensen laughed before saying bye and getting back to work.

 

Donna triumphantly placed her phone on the kitchen table and looked at Jared. “Done! He’s coming home.”

“Wow!” Jared smiled. “Remind me not to get on your bad side. You’d have me out of here in no time flat. You are a pro!”

“Jared, honey,” Donna patted him on the arm. “I would never try to get rid of you. You are a sweetheart.”

“Thank you,” Jared blushed.

“Now give him a few minutes to let everyone know he won’t be going and then send him a quick text telling him to have fun.” Donna smiled. “Then he can tell you that he’s heading home instead.

“What should I do when he gets here? Where should I be?” Jared asked, suddenly nervous. “What do I say to him?”

“Sweetie, I think that’ll work itself out when you see him. I think you should just be here at the table or in the living room. I’m gonna be selfish and say that I want to see his face when he sees you.” Donna stood up and moved toward the fridge. “Now, I need to make my boy some chicken fried steak. Wanna help?”

“I would love to” Jared replied, getting up to move into position to lend a hand.

 

Jensen finished up with his notes and started wiping down his equipment and putting things to rights. He was putting away the antibacterial wipes when his phone buzzed again. Instead of checking it, Jensen finished getting everything put away and then went to find Aaron. After explaining that he wasn’t going to make it to happy hour because he was tired, Jensen made his way out to his car to head home. He was putting on his seat belt, when he felt his phone buzz again.

_Jared: Have fun with your co-workers tonight. Can’t wait to meet everyone._

_Jared: Remember that I love you. I’ll talk to you soon._

_Jensen: Not gonna go after all. Just want to head home._

_Jensen: Want to talk to you sooner instead of later._

_Jared: Okay. Let me know when you’re ready to talk._

_Jared: I miss you. I love you._

_Jensen: Ditto on both counts._

He threw his phone into the passenger seat and backed out of his spot. Heaving a heavy sigh, Jensen made his way to the interstate for the short drive to his parents’ house.

 

Back at the Ackles’ house, the chicken fried steaks were just about done, the potatoes had been mashed, the greens were simmering, and the gravy and biscuits were getting finished up. Donna came rushing into the kitchen to let Jared know that Jensen had just pulled up outside. Jared’s knees gave out on him, and he leaned haphazardly against the counter.

“You need to sit?” Donna asked quietly. She patted Jared’s shoulder to help him calm down and pointed toward one of the chairs.

“Yes, ma’am. I believe I do.” Jared said weakly and made his way toward one of them. “Why am I so nervous?”

“I don’t know. But it’s gonna be great. Just stay here, Jared. I’ll send him in to you.” Donna whispered. They heard the front door open, and Donna made her way into the living room. Jared sat quietly at the table and waited to see Jensen.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

When Jensen pulled up out front, he noticed that his dad’s car was already home. That was a bit unusual for this time of day. He shrugged and gathered his things and made his way up the front pathway. Giving a big yawn, he opened the front door and stepped inside. He placed his work stuff on the stairway to carry up later and headed into the living room. His dad was sitting in his favorite chair, and his mom was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Hey guys!” Jensen said as he walked in. “Dinner smells amazing, Mama! I’m glad I came home.”

“Hey baby!” Donna walked over and gave him a big hug. “Congratulations on your first week at the new job! We’re so glad that you’re back in Texas, honey.”

“I am too, Mama. Is dinner ready? Or do I have time to make a phone call?”

“Dinner is ready to go. And you got another package today. I think it’s from Jared. I have it sitting in the kitchen waiting for you.” Donna grinned. “You wanna go on in and see what it is? Maybe wait and call him after?”

Jensen yawned again and said, “Another package? I wasn’t expecting anything.” He made his way toward the kitchen, but his mom stepped in front of him before he could go inside.

“I just need to get the steaks out of the frying pan. They should be done now.”

He waited for her to pass through to the kitchen before he stepped in himself. As he walked in, he looked toward the spot where he usually sat. His mouth dropped open and his eyes flew wide. Instead of a package, there sat Jared.

“Jay?” Jensen gasped and his eyes filled with tears. He stood silently in place, staring wide-eyed at his boyfriend who was sitting there looking up at him. “What? I don’t…”

“I couldn’t wait any longer, Jen. I got here as fast as I could.” Jared said as he stood up, his arms hanging loosely by his side. The next thing Jensen knew he was wrapped up in Jared. His arms were around his partner’s waist, and he could feel Jared’s arms around him. He pulled away in order to look up at Jared’s face.

“Are you really here? Is this real?” Jensen asked quietly.

“Yeah, Jen. I’m here.” Jared placed his hands on either side of Jensen’s neck, just under his jaw line. As his thumbs gently glided over Jensen’s cheeks, Jared leaned in for a kiss. Jensen responded in kind and before he was aware of moving, he had both hands in Jared’s hair and was kissing him with everything he had. He could feel tears running down his face and could taste their salty essence in his mouth, but he didn’t care. Jared was in his arms again.

“Jay,” he gasped between kisses. “Jay, what happened? What are you doing here?”

Jared pulled back a bit and held onto Jensen’s wrists but didn’t remove Jensen’s hands from his hair.

“I got everything finished up earlier than I thought I would. Steve and I worked it out, so I could head this way.”

“But what about Genevieve? The apartment?” Jensen asked, confused. “You didn’t leave her with the whole rent payment did you?”

“You are so sweet to think of her,” Jared placed a quick kiss to Jensen’s nose. “But I took care of all of that. Believe me. I’ve taken care of all of the loose ends. I’m here now. All free and clear. For you.”

Jensen pulled him back in for another round of kisses. When things started getting a bit heated, Jensen pulled away and gave a shaky laugh. Jared looked back at him with a dazed look in his eyes.

“We’re in my mother’s kitchen.” Jensen whispered.

Jared grinned and looked around.

“Looks like we’re alone,” he whispered back.

Jensen also looked around and then smiled. He pulled Jared in for one more deep kiss and then broke away. He turned back toward the living room briefly and then back toward Jared. He took Jared’s hand in his own and smiled up at him.

“I guess I should officially introduce you, huh?”

“Well, I have spent part of the afternoon with them already.” Jared answered.

“Yeah, but I want to introduce you to them.”

Jared’s answering smile was enough to let Jensen know that it was a great idea. They made their way back into the living room with Jared following behind. As Jensen passed through the doorway, he looked at his mom. Her eyes were lit up with a joy that he hadn’t seen directed his way in a long time. She had an open and loving smile on her face. His dad looked a bit mischievous.

“Mama, Dad,” he began. “I know you have already met him, but I would like to formally introduce you to my partner. This is Jared Padalecki. Jared, these are my parents. Alan Ackles and Donna Ackles.”

Alan stood up and made his way over to Jared. He took Jared’s outstretched hand in his own and then yanked him into a hug. He gave Jared two firm slaps to his back and then backed up to look up at him.

“Jared, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Anyone who can put that kind of smile on my son’s face is a welcome addition to this family. Glad to have you here.”

Jensen laughed and grabbed his dad in a hug. While he had him close, he whispered, “Thanks, Dad.”

When he pulled away, Donna was laughing and giving Jared a hug as well.

“Well, let’s go eat before my food gets cold.” Donna made her way toward the kitchen with the guys following in her wake.

 

Dinner was delicious and everyone seated around the Ackles’ table enjoyed the conversation which ranged from Jared’s drive to Jensen’s week at work to Donna’s planning for the next big event for the Foundation. Alan tended to listen and not say much. From what Jared could detect, this was just how Alan was. He found that he wasn’t taking it personally at all. He knew what it was like to be the quiet one watching everyone else. At one point, he caught Alan’s eye and received a gentle smile in return. Jared knew he was okay after that.

Jensen, on the other hand, found himself trying not to touch Jared at first. His hand kept reaching that direction, and he kept pulling it back before contact was made. After several times catching himself doing that, Jensen recalled what he had decided while sitting beside the pond at the ranch. He looked over at his father and started laughing. His dad looked his way with a question on his face, and Jensen just laughed harder. Jared looked sideways at him, trying to figure out what was going on. Jensen just laughed some more. Then he leaned in to Jared and planted a kiss right on his mouth. When he leaned back, Jared’s eyes were wide, but he had a huge smile on his face.

Jensen leaned his forehead on Jared’s shoulder and said, “I love you.”

“Hey!” Jared said softly. When Jensen looked up and met his eyes, Jared said, “I love you.”

In that moment, it didn’t matter who was sitting at the table. Jensen was as happy as he had ever been. He was in love, and he was loved in return. Jared leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Jensen’s lips and then gave him a beautiful smile, dimples on full display. Jensen just beamed.

 

When dinner was finished, Jared and Jensen volunteered to do the dishes while the senior Ackles relaxed in the living room. As they worked, they chatted and laughed. The conversation stayed light and fun with neither of them dipping into any serious discussions. They were simply enjoying being back together again. Kisses, touches, and hugs were freely shared between them.

When they completed the task, Jensen made a pot of coffee and rummaged through the refrigerator for something sweet. He came up with part of an apple pie that he served onto plates and warmed in the microwave. He found his mom’s serving tray and loaded it up with coffee and pie. After giving Jared a quick kiss, he hefted the tray and headed for the living room.

His mom smiled as they entered the room. Jensen placed the tray on the coffee table and began to distribute everything. Once everyone had a plate and a cup, he sat down on the sofa beside Jared.

“So Jared.” Donna began. “Jensen tells us that you work for an engineering firm.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jared answered with a smile. “The company I was working with is a fairly large company in D.C. It is in the process of getting purchased by a larger company, and there will be some redundancy when they consolidate. I was a junior engineer with them, and low man on the totem pole. So I would probably have been one of the first ones cut. My boss there, who is concerned with being considered redundant himself, is using this opportunity to start his own company. He has decided to bring me on with him.”

“His boss, Steve, told Jared that he wanted him as brick one.” Jensen explained, looking proud.

“Well, that sounds promising.” Alan stated. “How are you going to work for them? Are they relocating here?”

“No, sir.” Jared explained. “I’m going to be telecommuting. I’ll be able to set my own hours, work on the contracts that suit my skills, and send my work electronically to Steve. That way I can work from anywhere I want.”

“That sounds perfect.” Donna spoke as she gently laid her fork on her plate. “So you can live anywhere and work the hours you need? That’s fabulous.”

“Steve also told Jared that he expects him to make senior engineer quickly because he’s a quick learner.” Jensen patted Jared on the thigh.

“And you went to UT?” Alan asked before leaning forward to place his plate on the tray.

“Yes, sir.” Jared nodded.

“What made you decide to go to D.C.?”

Jensen looked at Jared with a look of apology on his face. Jared just smiled, and laid his hand over Jensen’s where it sat on his thigh. He sat back comfortably on the sofa and said, “I had a bad break-up toward the end of my Senior year and needed some space where no one knew me. And the company offered me an amazing starting package complete with relocation money. I couldn’t pass it up.”

 

Jensen hadn’t given any thought to how tired he had been previously until he saw Jared yawning. Immediately the fatigue set in for him again. He answered Jared’s yawn with an even bigger one of his own. He shook his head and looked at his partner.

“Where’s all of your stuff, Jay?”

“Um… My big stuff is out at the ranch in the barn with your stuff. My suitcase and my travel bags are upstairs. Your mom helped me get situated earlier.”

“Mama?” Jensen asked. “Where did you put Jared?”

“In your room, Jens.” Donna smiled.

“Ready to go to bed?” Jensen asked immediately looking at Jared.

“Whenever you are, Jen.” Jared answered. “I’m pretty tired.”

Jensen stood and took Jared’s hand. “I think we’ll head up. Good night, guys.”

Donna grinned and waved at them. “Good night. Sleep well.”

Jensen made his way quickly from the room, dragging Jared behind him. Jared began to chuckle as soon as they got to the stairwell.

“Slow down, cowboy!” Jared laughed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know.” Jensen laughed in return. “I just haven’t had you to myself in far too long.”

“Fourteen days.” Jared answered immediately.

Jensen held Jared’s face in his hands and kissed him, slowly and deeply. Jared returned the sentiment and moved closer to enjoy the kiss. When they pulled apart, Jared rested his forehead against his partner’s with his eyes closed.

“God, I missed you,” he whispered. “I’m so happy right now.”

“Me, too.” Jensen whispered in return. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I couldn’t stay away any longer, Jen. I was dying there without you. I couldn’t take it anymore.” Tears appeared in Jared’s eyes causing the color to brighten. “Every night when I got off the phone with you, I felt devastated. It felt like a part of me had been ripped out. I knew I had to get to you as quickly as I could.”

“Sh. It’s okay, Jay.” Jensen placed kisses on Jared’s cheeks and forehead, and he then began to wipe away the tear tracks from Jared’s cheeks. “You’re here now. I’ve got you. I’ve got you, babe.”

“Jen?” Jared whispered, looking at Jensen. “Let’s go upstairs. I want to hold you. I need to hold you.”

“Yeah.” Jensen kissed Jared one more time and then turned to head up the stairs. “Let’s go.”

They quickly got ready for bed and made their way to Jensen’s room. Jensen climbed in and Jared followed right behind him. Jensen turned on his side to face Jared with only one bedside lamp on for light. It happened to be the one above the framed picture of the two of them. When Jared saw it he snickered.

“You have it in the same spot I had mine in the apartment.” Jared said.

“Well, now that you’re here with me, I can take it to work. Put it on my work station.” Jensen replied.

“So…talk to me, Jen.” Jared spoke softly. “How have you been?”

“We’ve spoken every day since I left. I’ve told you how I’ve been.” Jensen smiled.

“I guess… But it feels like we didn’t get to talk about the important stuff. Y’know? Like we were holding back the bad stuff. I know I didn’t tell you how bad it’s been for me. I told you it was bad, but it was a lot worse than what I let on.”

“Yeah, me too.” Jensen looked away. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Exactly!”

“But now that I have you here. In my teenage bed, I might add. I don’t care about that. Except that I don’t want to have to go through that again any time soon.”

“Okay.” Jared smiled. “I agree. No more time that far apart. It really and truly sucked ass.”

Jensen’s booming laugh filled the room. When he calmed down again, he said, “Agreed.”

“But I do want to talk about some of it.” Jared stroked a finger across Jensen’s cheek. “I feel like we need to do it. Clear the air.”

Jensen pressed a soft kiss on Jared’s forehead and then nodded. “Okay, Jay. We will.”

“So when do you move into your apartment?” Jared asked.

“Next Saturday. The current tenant will be gone by Wednesday, the apartment management will go in and do a thorough cleaning, and then I get the keys Saturday morning.”

“Okay.” Jared looked away this time. “Do you need some help?”

“Um…” Jensen paused for a moment, debated with himself, and finally just said it. “I was hoping that you would not only help me, but…that you would move in with me.”

“Really?” Jared’s face fell into a small smile and then he looked a little worried. “You don’t think it’s too soon or anything?”

“No. Do you?”

“Nope.” Jared smiled again, bigger. “Just wanted to be sure. I was hoping that you wanted me to.”

Jensen’s answering smile was so big, it made his eyes crinkle.

“God! Sometimes I feel like a twelve-year-old girl when I’m around you.” Jensen laughed.

“Why? Because I’m so good looking it makes you swoon?” Jared batted his eyelashes.

“No, because I get so excited about the smallest things. You make me giddy.”

“I don’t think it’s small that we’re moving in together. I think that’s pretty huge actually.” Jared replied in a serious tone.

“No, you’re right.” Jensen was quick to reassure. “It is a big deal. I never would have considered this with anyone else. But with you, it feels natural. Like it’s supposed to be this way.”

“Yeah, I feel that too.” Jared fought against a huge yawn, but couldn’t hold it in. He shook his head and grinned at Jensen.

“Listen, I’m very happy to have you here with me. But it really has been a long couple of weeks. And I know you must be tired after making that trip.” At Jared’s nod, Jensen continued. “So let’s get some sleep and tomorrow we can talk about the heavy stuff. Okay?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

They wiggled and shifted until Jensen was facing away from Jared as the little spoon, while Jared wrapped his arm around Jensen’s waist to keep him close. After Jensen shut off the light, Jared spread little kisses along Jensen’s shoulder and neck before easing his head into a comfortable sleeping position. Jensen linked his fingers with Jared’s where they rested on his abdomen, and before long, they were both sound asleep.

 

Jared’s eyes fluttered open. His arm was still tucked around Jensen, but their fingers were no longer intertwined. It was still dark outside, but there was a light framing the door. Jared looked around and found the red numbers of a digital alarm clock on the other side of the room. He blinked to clear his vision and saw that it was just after one a.m.

After attempting to go back to sleep, Jared finally decided to make a quick trip to the restroom and get a glass of water. After carefully moving away from Jensen while only causing one short snuffle from his sleeping boyfriend, Jared quietly made his way toward the door. After taking his trip to the restroom, he decided to head down to the kitchen for his water. Halfway down the stairs he heard a quiet cough drifting up from the living room. Unsure who he would find, he took a deep breath and continued down the stairs. As he rounded the corner, he saw Jensen’s dad sitting in his chair with a book. Jared quietly cleared his throat so as not to startle him.

“Jared.” Alan said, glancing up at him with a sleepy look on his face.

“Hello, sir.” Jared responded. “Just gonna go get a glass of water. Excuse me.”

“Come on back and have a seat for minute.”

“Um…sure? Be right back.”

Jared continued into the kitchen and found the glassware. He was glad that he had been paying attention when Jensen put things away earlier. After pouring and drinking an entire glass, Jared refilled his glass with water, took a deep breath again, and made his way back into the living room to see what Alan wanted.

“Have a seat, son.” Alan waved toward the couch and waited for Jared to get situated. “You having trouble sleeping?”

“I guess so, sir. I woke up and had some trouble going back to sleep.”

“Something on your mind?” Alan asked.

“I don’t think so.” Jared answered after thinking for a minute. “I think I’ve just been looking forward to being here for what feels like a really long time. I’m excited. I think that after I slept off part of my exhaustion, I just…woke up.”

“Well, I’m glad that you did.” Alan answered quietly. “I wanted to talk with you without anyone else around. There are a couple of things that you need to know.”

“Yes, sir.” Jared answered seriously. He folded his hands on his lap and leaned slightly forward to show his earnestness.

“Before that though, I need to ask you an important question.” When Jared nodded, Alan continued. “Are you serious about my son?”

“Yes, sir!” Jared answered immediately in a slightly choked voice. He huffed out a small laugh. “I’m in love with him, sir. He is the most amazing, kind, caring, generous, intelligent, talented person I have ever met. He’s hilarious and honest. Strong and so aware. He’s been a touchstone for me, an absolute brick. He helped me pull myself out of an extremely dark period of my life. For that I will forever be in his debt. But he has also allowed me into his world. He has shown me who he really is, and I’m so incredibly glad that I know him.” There were tears sliding down both cheeks by the time Jared stopped talking. He shook his head and laughed at himself. “Sorry, sir.”

“For what?”

“I guess I’m still really tired. I let my emotions get the best of me.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand.

“That’s okay.” Alan cleared his throat. He moved a bit in his chair and made direct eye contact with Jared before speaking again. “I noticed that throughout your speech there, you neglected to mention that he is a good looking young man. I thought that might be near the top of your list.”

“Well, sir. I have noticed it. I do have eyes after all.” Jared grinned. “But he would be beautiful to me no matter what he looked like. He’s beautiful on the inside. That’s far more important to me.”

Alan nodded and looked at his lap. Jared cleared his throat and then reached for his glass of water. After taking a sip, he looked back over at Alan.

“What was it that you wanted to tell me, sir?” Jared asked quietly.

“Jared,” Alan began. He stopped and cleared his throat, looking extremely uncomfortable. “I love my son. Very much. He hasn’t had an easy time of things. But it sounds like to me that you haven’t either. Before you got here today, I was hesitant about Jensen being in any sort of relationship. I was afraid he wasn’t making good decisions. See…his family let him down many years ago. In a way that I wasn’t sure he would ever get over. I felt, for many years, like I failed him for not standing up for him sooner. Or for not continuing to stand up for him after that.”

“Forgive me, sir.” Jared interrupted. “Jensen told me about how you stood up for him. What you did for him that day made a huge impact on him. He hasn’t forgotten it, and he uses it as a source of strength for himself. You did just fine.”

Alan looked at Jared with a glimmer in his eye and nodded. “Thank you for telling me that. But see… When he left us, he was not in a good place. I’ve seen what people can do to each other and to themselves when they aren’t in a good place. So I worried. When he got back, I could see that he was still struggling. What I didn’t realize at first was that he was only struggling because he had to leave you behind. But even without being here, you encouraged him to stand up for himself and for you.”

“What?” Jared asked as he tilted his head to the side in confusion. Alan smiled at Jared’s expression.

“It was before you arrived. He, basically, put me in my place when he thought I wasn’t giving you the proper respect.”

“Huh!” Jared laughed. “He did?”

“Yeah.” Alan looked away and then laughed. He shook his head and looked back at Jared. “He wanted to tell me about you. Share you with me and his mother. I told him that he didn’t need to sell you. That I would have a chance to get to know you for myself. He explained that you made him happy and that he was in love for the first time in his life. He told me that you make him want to be a better person. That he had to be the best version of himself because you deserved it.”

Jared’s eyes filled with tears again as he listened to Jensen’s father open up to him and tell him things about his own relationship. He began to smile as he listened.

“After listening to you just now, I can see that you feel that same way about him.”

“Yes, sir. I do.” Jared smiled.

“I was still hesitant. Even when I met you earlier today.” Alan chuckled. “Although you did hold your own with Josh.” Both men laughed. “But when I saw the look in Jensen’s eyes, and the confidence in his body language after he found you in the kitchen, I couldn’t help but agree that this seems to be a good thing. You really make him happy.”

“He makes me happy, sir. I’m more myself when I’m with him.” Jared grinned. “I’m very grateful that I found him, and I think he feels the same way about me.”

“I think so, too.” Alan’s face regained its serious look again before he spoke. “So here comes the part I need you to listen to. I need you to take care of him. Love him. Respect him. Help him when he needs you. Support him when he doesn’t. Show him that there is more to him then what’s on the outside. He’s heard, all of his life, that he is a good-looking young man. But he is so much more than that.”

“Yes, sir. I know.” Jared smiled.

“He is also so much more than his surroundings or his family. But there’s a lot of baggage that comes attached to him because of us. Stuff you’ll have to learn about as we go along here. Don’t let it get in the way. Stay true to who you are individually and as a couple. You do all of that, you guys will be fine.”

“I hope so, sir.”

Alan sat back in his chair and looked at Jared for a minute. He nodded his head, and it seemed that he was finished.

“Sir?” Jared asked quietly. “I appreciate your willingness to talk with me. I appreciate you giving me the chance to prove that this is more than a passing thing. But I have to ask a question.”

“Go ahead.” Alan answered seriously.

“I would like to spend the rest of my life with your son. And this conversation has only solidified my intention. So even though I would follow through without it… Does this mean I have your blessing?” Jared grinned.

“I think it does. Yes.” Alan grinned back. After a moment or two of silence, Alan spoke again. “Listen, I haven’t had to give this speech to anyone before. How’d I do?”

“Awesome!” Jared’s huge smile lit his face. “You were awesome, sir!”

 

After about ten more minutes of quiet conversation, Jared made his way back up to the bedroom. He gently opened the door and let the light fall onto Jensen’s form under the sheet. Jared’s breath caught in his throat as he looked over his boyfriend’s sleeping form, and then a grin split his face. He quietly shut the door behind himself and carefully made his way to his side of the bed. As he lifted the sheet to climb back in, Jensen snuffled and rolled toward him.

“There you are.” Jensen murmured and reached toward Jared.

“Yeah. I’m back.” Jared responded.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I was talking to your dad.”

“What?” Jensen’s eyes were suddenly wide open and looking directly at Jared. “What happened?”

“I got up for some water, and he was still awake. We chatted.” Jared shrugged. “Everything’s good, Jen. It was a good conversation.”

“Really?” Jensen smiled softly.

“Yeah, really.” Jared smiled warmly. “He really loves you, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Good. Now go back to sleep. I want both of us to be awake and alert tomorrow.” He placed a quick kiss on Jensen’s nose and snuggled in closer. Jensen took one of Jared’s hands and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes, they were both back to sleep.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Saturday broke bright and warm. Jared’s internal alarm clock was still set to “early”, so he was up and moving before Jensen. When he made it down the stairs, he found Donna sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, Ms. Donna.” Jared spoke quietly as he entered. “How are you this morning?”

“Jared! Good morning!” Donna patted the table beside her. “Get yourself some coffee and have a seat.”

“Thank you.” He poured himself a cup of Ms. Donna’s dark, rich coffee and then added his sugar and cream before sitting beside her.

“How’d you sleep?” she asked quietly.

“Pretty good. I had to get up for some water earlier, but I slept pretty good otherwise.”

“That’s good.” Donna nodded and then quietly asked. “Did you guys stay up for a while?”

Jared blushed before answering, “No, ma’am. We chatted for a little bit and then went to sleep. We were both too tired to stay awake very long.”

“I see.” Donna was quiet for a moment and then asked, “Did Jensen tell you that his sister is going to be here today?”

“No, he didn’t.” Jared smiled warmly. “That’s great! I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

“She’s a great girl. But she’s a handful. Knows what she wants and goes for it.” Donna grinned and then looked down at the table. “She never really had to work hard for much though. I’m afraid it’s beginning to show.”

“What do you mean?” Jared asked.

“Well… She has lived a charmed life. People don’t tend to tell her no.” Donna raised her eyes to meet Jared’s. “She expects to live easy, and, so far, it’s been true for her. I’m afraid she doesn’t have the strength of character that Jensen has because she hasn’t had to struggle. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, ma’am. It does.” Jared smiled. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. You and Alan seem like fabulous parents. I’m sure you instilled more character and quality in her than you’re giving yourself credit for.”

“Ah, Jared.” Donna patted his hand where it was laying on the table. “You are a fine young man. Thank you so much for giving Jensen a second chance.”

“I believe it was meant to be. There was no other option.”

 

Jensen got moving about an hour later, and they decided to take a ride by the apartment complex so Jared could see it for himself. One look at the place and Jared knew it was perfect. He was thrilled with the interior green space and the location of the apartment on the property. They couldn’t get in to see the inside, but the fact that there was a park just behind it made Jared very happy. It would be the perfect place for his morning jogs and for them to stroll together after Jensen got home from work. Jensen was pleased to see Jared so excited.

Their stop by the apartment complex and a quick drive by A Better Day PT turned into a tour of Jensen’s favorite parts of Dallas. After Jensen made a quick call to his mom to find out when Mack was supposed to arrive, he took Jared to his own favorite diner (Lucky’s Café) for lunch. The food was amazing, and Jared was well and truly stuffed by the time they got up to head back to the Ackles’ house. They made their way to where they had parked and started the trek back to Richardson.

“That place is awesome!” Jared laughed. “We need to make that a regular stop.”

“Definitely! It’s one of my favorite places to eat. Good, fresh food in large quantities. Can’t miss.” Jensen agreed with a huge smile on his face. “So have you ever been up to Dallas before?”

“A long time ago. I came up on a school trip. I can’t even remember why.” Jared chuckled. “I don’t think I was very engaged in whatever we were supposed to be learning that day.”

Jensen laughed. “Well, whatever it was, I’m sure it was great.”

“I’m sure whatever it was would have been ten times better with you by my side.” Jared reached over and patted Jensen on his thigh. “I’m so glad that I made it here.”

“Me too, babe.” Jensen smiled over at Jared quickly before turning his eyes back to the highway in front of him. “I can’t believe it’s only been fourteen days. It seemed like so much longer than that for me.”

“Tell me about it.” Jared agreed. “I was about to crawl out of my skin.”

“So what was going on?” Jensen dropped his right hand down onto Jared’s where it was still resting on Jensen’s thigh.

“You wanna talk about all of that now?” Jared asked quietly, looking over at Jensen.

“Hmm…” Jensen considered for a minute and then scoffed. “I guess not. But I do want to talk about it soon. I have a few things I want to tell you.”

“Yeah, me too.” Jared brought Jensen’s hand up to his lips and gave it a quick kiss. “But I want to enjoy today. I’m looking forward to meeting your sister.”

Jensen barked out a quick laugh and then said, “I haven’t spoken to her in a while. But last time I did, she gave me an earful. Something about not being interested in anything beyond the end of my own nose.” Jared snickered. “She’s something.”

“That’s what your mom told me this morning.” Jared grinned at the memory. “She sounds like fun.”

“You think that now. Just wait!”

 

Jared was upstairs taking a break and organizing his clothes when Mackenzie arrived. He could hear the greetings floating up to him from downstairs. When he heard Jensen’s laughter above everything, he felt warmth bloom in his chest at the happiness Jensen showed around his family. He knew Jensen was comfortable and happy here in this house. It made Jared content.

When he heard footsteps jogging up the stairs, he knew that his presence was required. He finished folding the jeans he had in his hands and then turned toward the doorway. Jensen’s bright eyes found his and he grinned. Jensen made his way into the room and took Jared’s hand in his own.

“Mack’s here.” Jensen squeezed Jared’s hand and gave it a little tug. “Wanna come down and meet her?”

“Of course.” Jared tugged back on Jensen’s hand until Jensen moved closer. Jared wrapped his other arm around Jensen’s waist and planted a kiss on the tip of Jensen’s nose. Jensen grinned and wrapped his arm around Jared in return.

“Let’s go.” Jensen squeezed and then moved away.

“Right behind you.” Jared let Jensen go and watched him move back to the hallway and disappear. Jared took a deep breath and moved to follow. He knew this was important: Jensen’s last important family member. He couldn’t get this wrong.

As he descended the stairs, he could hear conversation from the living room. He could hear a rich female voice rising above the others. Suddenly there was laughter again. As he turned the corner, he could see Jensen’s cheeks turning red and watched as his head turned back toward the stairway. Their eyes met and Jared could see the love Jensen felt for him. He smiled and returned the look with one equally full of love.

“Here’s Jared.” Jensen said moving toward him. Jared continued to look into Jensen’s eyes until someone cleared their throat. Jensen blinked and turned away. “Mack, this is my partner. Jared, this is my sister.”

Jared’s eyes quickly moved in the direction indicated and found a very attractive young woman with blue eyes and long, dark blonde hair looking back at him. She stood confidently in the middle of the living room. Her mouth was tipped up in a tense smile, and her head was slightly tilted to one side as she assessed him. She never fully made eye contact before seemingly dismissing him altogether, turning her attention back to her brother. Jared suddenly felt cold.

“Geez! Do you think you maybe could have found someone a little taller there, Jensen?” Mackenzie stated. “I mean, this one’s a shrimp.”

Jensen wrapped his arm around Jared’s waist and laughed. “You should see his brother.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mackenzie.” Jared said reaching out with his right hand to shake hers.

“You too,” she returned. She took his hand limply and briefly. Without making eye contact, she took her hand back and quickly moved away from him, calling out “Mama, what’s for dinner?”

Jared’s eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Jensen. He could see the tension around Jensen’s eyes, but Jensen was watching Mack.

“I’ve got some brisket set up in the kitchen. It’s all ready to go,” Donna called. When she saw the look on Jared’s face, she got a determined look on her face and followed her daughter into the kitchen.

As soon as she cleared the room, Jared gave Jensen a gentle squeeze to get his attention. When Jensen looked up at him, Jared placed a quick kiss on Jensen’s forehead and gave him a little smile. Jensen shrugged his shoulders in return.

“I don’t know what that was about, Jay.”

“It’s okay.” Jared answered softly.

“No. It isn’t.” Jensen leaned up and wrapped his arms around Jared’s neck before burying his nose in Jared’s hair just behind his ear. “You deserve the best of everything, and that was shitty.”

Jared pulled Jensen closer before whispering, “I’ve got you. I’m good.”

 

Throughout the rest of the evening, Jensen kept a close eye on his sister as she buzzed around the house. He noticed that she stayed away from him when Jared was close. She also kept watching him with a severe look on her face whenever he and Jared had a quiet moment between them. He kept wondering what her problem was. It was obvious that she didn’t like Jared all that much, but he couldn’t figure out how anyone could dislike Jared. Jared kept trying to make headway with her, but she hadn’t given him many chances, and she seemed to quickly shoot them all down.

“She’s in a mood, isn’t she?” Donna asked from behind Jensen where he was sitting on the sofa.

“Looks like it. Any idea what’s going on?” Jensen asked back.

“No. Everything seems to be going well at work. She’s dating some guy named Michael now.”

“I thought you said his name was Ryan.” His mother huffed a sharp laugh in return.

“Honestly, Jensen. I can’t keep track any better than you can. Last time we spoke she said she was dating Ryan. Now, she’s dating Michael.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know.”

“Something is wrong with her.” Jensen spoke seriously. “She’s off. Bitter.”

“She won’t talk about anything with me.” Donna grimaced. “She hasn’t really shared anything personal for a while. It’s all surface with her.”

“That’s not good, Mama.”

“I know.” Donna responded. “Just not sure what to do about it.”

“Hmm.” Jensen watched as Mack made a quick, sharp response to something Jared said and noticed the almost imperceptible flinch that Jared made in response. “She doesn’t seem to like Jared.”

“I noticed.” Donna said quietly as she patted Jensen’s shoulder.

Jensen’s eyes darted back to where Jared was standing with a concerned look on his face as his eyes studied the flooring. Jensen made his way over to him, took Jared’s hand, and pressed a kiss onto his cheek.

“Don’t worry about it,” he muttered. “Whatever she just said to you. It doesn’t matter.” Jared’s eyes found his, and Jensen could read the apprehension in them. Jensen laid his hand along Jared’s jawline and kept eye contact as he whispered, “I don’t care what she thinks about you. You are the best thing I’ve ever had in my life. And I don’t give a rat’s ass about what she thinks or says. Okay?”

Jared nodded and gave a half smile before answering, “It’s okay, Jen. She just caught me off guard. That’s all. I didn’t expect it, but I don’t doubt you. I don’t doubt us. I’m okay.”

Jensen nodded and gave Jared a quick kiss before moving away to locate his sister.

Jared watched Jensen head off before realizing that Donna was right beside him. She placed her arm through his and leaned into his side. He smiled down at her and patted her hand with his own. He understood that she was apologizing for her daughter’s behavior, and he accepted it.

“I’ve had an idea.” Donna said softly. “I think you and Jensen need some time to say hello to each other without all of us Ackles in your space. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll explain myself.”

Jared nodded.

 

Mackenzie was sitting in the kitchen by herself when Jensen found her. She had a cup of coffee sitting beside her, but she seemed to have forgotten it was there. He could see that she was lost in thought, and it didn’t look like whatever it was made her very happy.

“Hey,” he barked. “What’s wrong with you?”

She startled and looked up at him. Her face immediately went from lost and sad to hard and cold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, dear brother. I’m fine.”

“Yeah. Sure you are.” Jensen responded. “You’ve got a really crappy attitude tonight.”

“And?”

“And I was looking forward to seeing you, hanging out with you. But now? Right this minute? I don’t want anything to do with you. I want to get as far away from you as possible.” Jensen pointed at her and gave her a fierce look. “I don’t know what you said to Jared just now, and I honestly don’t care. But you need to show him some respect.”

“Why? Because you’re ‘in love’ with him?” Mack’s tone was condescending, and Jensen could feel his temper growing.

“Back off, Mack.”

Mackenzie huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Jensen.”

“And to think, I was so proud to get to introduce you to him.” Jensen spun on his heel and stormed out of the kitchen. He quickly walked to the front door and out onto the porch to get a breath of fresh air. He was pissed and wanted to give himself a chance to calm down before finding Jared again.

He looked out over the neighborhood and tried to figure out what the hell was wrong with his sister. She had always been a bit spoiled, but she had never been outright rude or aggressive. She hadn’t even given Jared a chance to get to know her before she went on the attack. Hell, she didn’t even want to shake his hand.

Jensen rubbed a hand across his face and slumped against the railing. Everything had been going so well. His dad seemed to like Jared. His mother loved Jared. Joshua thought he was great, too. Jensen shook his head and stood up straight again. Whatever Mack’s issue turned out to be, Jensen wasn’t going to let it get to him. That was her problem. He huffed out a breath and went in search of his man.

 

A few minutes later, Jared found himself sitting alone on the stairs when Donna found him again. He had tried multiple times to engage Mack in conversation. Each time he made an attempt, she shut him down or walked away. It felt like she was going out of her way to make him feel unwanted and unworthy. It was starting to wear on him. He knew Jensen said that it didn’t matter, but he also knew that Jensen loved his sister.

When Donna sat quietly beside him, he looked over at her from under his lashes. She leaned her head against his shoulder and whispered, “You alright?”

He shrugged then tipped his head onto hers before sitting upright again.

“Don’t let her get to you. I told you she was a handful.” Donna lifted her head to look into his eyes, only to find Jared blinking to try to clear the dampness from them. “Oh, baby. I’m sorry.”

Jared huffed out a breath before reaching up to wipe his eyes. “I just…”

When he seemed unable to continue, Donna put her arm through his and said, “You just want to make a good impression on all of Jensen’s family. And she isn’t being fair or responsive.”

Jared nodded.

“I know.” Donna patted his arm with her other hand. “I have a proposal for you and Jensen. Wait here while I go grab him, okay?”

Jared nodded and watched as Donna hitched herself off the stairs and went in search of her son. He sat staring off into space until Donna came back with Jensen in tow. She made Jensen sit beside Jared and then looked back and forth between them.

“Well…” Donna started and then cleared her throat. “I had an idea earlier, and I’ve already put it into motion. So you have no choice but to go along with it.” She grinned and then continued. “I realize that you guys haven’t had much time to yourselves since Jared got here. And there are far too many people in this house right now to afford you much privacy. I figured you both could use a break from some of the tension that causes. So… I took the liberty of getting you a hotel room for the next two nights.”

“Excuse me?” Jared squeaked.

“You two need some time for just the two of you. Some privacy.” Donna grinned.

“Thanks, Mama.” Jensen smiled at his mother. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but…” Donna looked at Jared when she spoke. “You deserve to be able to be comfortable together. I want you both to have some space.” Her gaze shifted to Jensen. “And I want an opportunity to speak to your sister without interruption.”

“Okay. Where are we staying?” Jensen replied without hesitation. Jared’s head whipped his way.

“I’ve got you booked at the Fairmont.” Donna patted Jared on the arm when he looked back at her, confused. “It’s okay, Jared. I want to do this. I’m not kicking you out or anything.”

“I guess I just don’t understand how things work around here yet. I thought we were going to stay here,” Jared said.

“Oh, honey.” Donna smiled at him with a twinkle in her eye. “Trust me. You’ll have plenty of time to figure things out. You aren’t going anywhere, right?”

“Absolutely not.” Jensen declared.

Jared shook his head. “No, ma’am. I don’t plan to.”

“Alright then.” Donna nodded then held up one finger in warning. “However, I do expect you both to be here for part of the day tomorrow. We need to get some things settled before little Missy goes back to Houston.” Donna gave them a serious look. “Say bye before you leave.”

“We will.” Jensen answered with a smile.

After Donna walked away, Jared looked at his partner and whispered, “What just happened?”

Jensen threw his head back and his laughter filled the stairwell. Jared couldn’t help but grin at him, but he felt a little bit like he had whiplash. So many conversations, so many back-and-forth feelings over the last month. He was tired and overwhelmed, but listening to Jensen’s laugh made him so happy.

“Come on, Jay.” Jensen chuckled as he wiped his eyes. “Let’s pack a bag and get the hell out of here.”

“Right behind you.”

 

While they were packing, Jared kept his eyes on the job at hand, but his mind was swirling. He didn’t speak much and kept moving. The drive to the hotel was quiet. Jared kept his eyes on the lights of downtown as they got closer. As soon as they parked the car, Jensen reached over and took Jared’s hand in his own.

“What’s wrong, Jay?” He was quiet as he spoke. “Talk to me, please.”

“I messed up.” Jared answered. “Didn’t I?”

“No. You didn’t do anything wrong, babe.”

“Then why are we staying in a hotel? Why did your mom send me away?”

“No way, Jay.” Jensen whispered. “Mama is trying to do something nice for us. This is her way of telling us it’s okay with her. _We’re_ okay with her.”

Jared shrugged and turned toward Jensen. “I just feel like I did something wrong. Mackenzie doesn’t like me. And now…” he waved a hand demonstratively through the air.

“No. Trust me. Wait until you see the rooms. This is one of the nicer hotels around. It’s older, but it’s regal. Just wait. Once we get in the room you’ll know. This is a gift. Not a punishment. I promise.”

“Okay.” Jared answered sadly. “I don’t want to disappoint you, Jensen. I want to be the best me I can be. For you. And I want your family to like me. For you.”

“ _You_ didn’t disappoint me. Mack did. And my Mama loves you.” Jensen tugged Jared’s hand gently and tapped Jared on the chin with his other hand. “Chin up, okay? Let’s go. We’ll talk more once you see the room.”

“Okay.” Jared pulled away and got out of the car.

They grabbed their bags and headed into the lobby. As soon as they hit the lobby, Jared began to understand what Jensen and his mother were talking about. This place was gorgeous. Jared followed along behind Jensen while looking around and trying to take it all in.

Jensen, meanwhile, walked confidently to the front desk to ask for the keys to the room. Jared wandered off through the lobby, taking in the rich color scheme and luxurious feel that surrounded him. He found the bar and made note of the friendly atmosphere and finally let himself relax.

“There you are!” Jensen called from behind him. Jared turned toward him with a smile. “Ready to go see the room?”

“Yeah,” Jared breathed. “This is amazing!”

“I figured you’d like it. Mama is spoiling you.” Jensen smiled and reached for Jared’s hand. “Let’s go.”

 

When they got to their room, Jared headed straight to the windows. The view was amazing; downtown Dallas in all of its well-lit glory. After a couple of minutes, Jensen wrapped his arms around Jared from behind. He pushed up onto his toes and snugged his chin over Jared’s shoulder.

“You okay,” he asked quietly.

“Yeah.” Jared answered softly. “I’m good. Now.”

Jensen smiled and tilted his head toward Jared. “What do you wanna do? Eat, go grab a drink? You tired?”

“I don’t care what we do as long as we’re together. Honestly. I’ve been missing you, and it’s been so crazy. And all of this with Mack. I just want to be with you.” Jared spoke rapidly. “Your mama had the right idea, y’know? Getting us away from all of that added stress. I mean, meeting your parents, and the talk with your dad. Everything! It’s been so…”

“I know.” Jensen patted Jared over his heart. “It’s been too much all at once.”

“Yeah.” Jared calmed. “I’ll have to thank her properly tomorrow.”

“That we can certainly do.” Jensen smiled and turned Jared toward himself. “But right now, I want to say hello to you again. If that’s okay?”

“Better than okay.” Jared smiled softly and pulled Jensen closer. He leaned down and kissed Jensen’s forehead. “Hello.”

“Let’s get settled and then we can either go get a snack or a drink. Okay?” Jensen asked quietly.

“Sounds like a good idea.”

They broke apart and started moving about the room, getting their stuff situated. Jared eventually sat on the surprisingly comfy couch in the living room area of the elaborate suite Ms. Donna had reserved for them. He looked around the room, taking it all in. Ms. Donna had really good taste.

Along with the seating area complete with a giant television, there was a table and chairs for eating, and a work area with a large desk. The bedroom portion had a door to seal it off from the seating area. The bed in there was huge. It reminded him of the suite they had in San Antonio which brought a smile to his face. He remembered that weekend of getting to know Jensen and how easy it had been to open up to this amazing man. He realized that it really didn’t matter what Mackenzie thought about him. He knew in the deepest part of his heart and soul that he was meant to spend the rest of his life with this man. She didn’t have the power to break them down.

“Hey, Jensen!” Jared called out. Jensen poked his head around the doorway from the bedroom. “You wanna just order some room service and hang here? We should probably take advantage of this room.”

“Oh! That sounds good to me.” Jensen smiled. “You wanna grab the menu while I…”

Jared smiled and nodded. When Jensen’s head disappeared, Jared made his way over to the desk to check out their options. He made some decisions and made the phone call before Jensen came back out. He sat back down on the couch and stretched out. He tilted his head back and let his mind wander.

He thought back to their day at the Alamo and how relaxed they each had been. That had been one of Jared’s best days up to that point. He smiled as he thought about their conversations. He remembered Jensen talking about the movie _A Knight’s Tale_ and how the lead character was willing to throw everything away in order to be true to himself, to greet the world on his own terms. Jensen had seemed so in awe of that character, but Jared recognized those same characteristics in him. Jared wanted to be that brave; he wanted to live unapologetically. He wanted Jensen to know that he was ready to be strong and live proudly.

“Hey!” Jensen came back into the room and made his way to the couch. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

“I’m thinking about you and how happy you make me.” Jared answered. “I’m so glad I’m here.”

“Me too.” Jensen smiled back. “And listen. Don’t worry about my sister. Please. She’s not going to make me change my mind about us. You are important to me. She either accepts that or she doesn’t. It’s her problem.”

“Thank you for saying that.” Jared smiled. “And just so you know. I was thinking the same thing.”

Jensen grinned and grabbed Jared’s hand. “Good.”

A knock sounded on the door, so Jared got up to answer it. They got the food transferred to the table and tipped the waiter. After he moved out of the room, Jared caught Jensen by the wrist and tugged him into his arms.

“I love you. You know that right?” Jared whispered. Jensen nodded his head. “I’m tired of worrying about what other people think. Your sister included. I’m tired of being timid and afraid.”

“Okay.” Jensen smiled. “I like the sound of this.”

“I want to live life on my own terms. And not feel like I should be seeking approval from everyone else.” Jared stated firmly. “I want to stop apologizing for who I am. And how I got this way. Because you know what?”

“What?” Jensen returned.

“I like me. Just the way I am. And I wouldn’t be this version of me without the past I have lived through.”

“Amen!” Jensen answered. “And for the record… I love this version of you. I hate that you had to go through those things, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed with the outcome. You are a strong, caring, beautiful soul. And I’m amazed by you.”

“Thank you.” Jared whispered. “I’m amazed by you too.”

The rest of the evening was spent talking and laughing, cuddling and kissing, and generally reacquainting themselves to one another. Jared finally felt like he was home again, even though he was in a hotel room.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Jensen woke the next morning with Jared’s arms around him. He felt warm and relaxed, realizing that it was the best night of sleep he’d gotten in about fifteen days. He grinned and began to try to move out of bed without waking Jared. He hadn’t gotten very far when the arms around him tightened and Jared’s breath huffed against his neck.

“Nope.” Jared’s muzzy morning voice sounded behind him. “Not goin’ anywhere.”

Jensen chuckled and scooted back into Jared. Jared hummed and squeezed Jensen tighter. He ran his nose along Jensen’s hairline, wiggling his rear end a little bit.

“Well, good morning to you too.” Jensen grumbled in his own rough morning voice. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, I did. How about you?”

“Best night of sleep in just over two weeks, by my calculations.”

Jared huffed a sleepy laugh against Jensen’s head. He ran his hand along Jensen’s stomach and groaned. “Don’t wanna get up yet. Don’t want you to get up either.”

“I figured that out.” Jensen smiled. “What do you propose we do instead?”

“Just lay here. Exist.” Jared yawned and then pressed a kiss to Jensen’s shoulder. “Remember that bubble I was talking about down in San Antonio?” Jensen hummed in agreement. “I feel like we’re back inside of it again. I don’t want to go back to reality.”

“I hear that.” Jensen agreed. “But… we have to go back to my parents’ house today. I need to figure out what’s going on with my sister.” Jared moaned. “And… you have to go back there and show her that you don’t scare that easily. That you aren’t going away just because she looked at you cross-eyed.”

“Ugh. I know.” Jared rumbled. He eased his hold on Jensen, and delivered another kiss. “I look forward to doing _this_ a little more often though.”

“Me too.” Jensen started to slide away, but Jared tightened his hold again. Jensen patted his arm and wiggled to turn around and face him. “Remember? You agreed to move in with me. That means we get to do this all the time.”

“That wasn’t just a dream then?” Jared stared straight into Jensen’s sparkling eyes and smiled. “I was hoping it wasn’t a dream.”

“Nope. Not a dream. That’s the reality we get to move forward into once we get out of this bed and start taking a few necessary steps.”

“Man! You don’t give up do you?” Jared chuckled. “Okay, okay. I’ll release you.”

Jensen pressed a kiss to Jared’s cheek, wrapped an arm around him and playfully smacked Jared on the bottom. When Jared yelped, Jensen chuckled again and found Jared’s lips for a quick kiss. Then he slid backwards out of bed.

“Now, let’s go! Today’s Sunday, which means Mama is going to make a wonderful lunch for everybody. I want to grab a shower before we head over there.”

“Okay. I’ll go after you. I just want to lay here a bit longer.”

Jensen leaned over for one more kiss before heading into the bathroom. After getting himself clean, he headed back into the bedroom to find an empty bed. He made his way toward the living space but stopped when he heard Jared talking to someone. After a minute, he realized it was Jared’s mother.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m good.” Jared paused. “I know. Yes, this weekend.” Another pause. “Remember what I told you, Mom. I told you if I got the opportunity, I would take it.”

Jensen poked his head around the door and made eye-contact with Jared, silently asking if everything was okay. Jared nodded and waved Jensen in. After sitting on the couch beside Jared, Jensen leaned his head on Jared’s shoulder.

“Well, honestly? I don’t care.” Jared stated plainly. “I’m tired of living my life in the shadows waiting for someone else’s approval. I deserve to be happy, Mom. I have an opportunity for that, and I’m grabbing it with both hands. I’m not letting go no matter what someone else thinks.”

Jensen sat up and pointed at the phone with a question on his face. Jared shook his head and mouthed “Mack.” Jensen nodded and sat back on the couch again.

“I hear you. Hugs to you too.” Jared paused again. “Yeah, he’s here. Hang on.” Jared covered the mouthpiece with his hand and then asked Jensen, “Wanna talk to Mom for a minute? She has a question for you.”

“I guess so.” Jensen answered, holding his hand out for the phone.

“Okay, here he is.” Jared handed the phone over and laid his hand on Jensen’s thigh. After a second he leaned his head against Jensen’s.

“Good morning, Ms. Sherry.” Jensen smiled into the phone. “How can I help you?”

“Jensen! It’s good to hear your voice again, son.” Sherry’s voice sounded through the phone. “You doing okay?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m fine.” Jensen answered. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I was wondering about this situation with your sister. Jared tells me that it seems like she doesn’t want to interact with him. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

“No, I don’t. But I plan to find out.” Jensen’s voice showed his disapproval.

“Okay. I’m just worried about him. He was so distraught when you both were here. I just hate to think he’s going to have another bad period, and I can’t help.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. He’s good. He’s really good. And I’ve got him.” Jensen sat up and looked into Jared’s eyes. “I’ve got his back no matter what.”

“Thank you, Jensen. I love my boy, and I know you do too. Take care of him for me.” Sherry sighed softly. “I feel like I’ll always be making amends for the things I’ve done wrong.”

“You don’t have to. He forgives you.”

“I just need to be able to forgive myself.” Sherry gave a bitter laugh. “I’m still working on that.”

“We’ll come down soon for a visit. You’ll be amazed.” Jensen offered.

“That would be lovely. Thank you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jensen said his goodbyes and then shut Jared’s phone before handing it back to him. When Jared asked what that was all about. Jensen shrugged and said, “She’s worried about you. I told her you had it under control.”

“Thanks! Now, I guess I better get clean before we head back over to the family homestead. I feel like I’m preparing myself for battle.” Jared grinned before getting up to make his way into the bathroom.

Jensen watched him go before making a quick call to his own mother to let her know they would be heading that way soon. He was disappointed to learn that his mother hadn’t made any headway with Mack the night before and hadn’t seen her yet that morning. Jensen was hoping that he would have a little insight before having to engage with Mack himself.

 

An hour later, the guys found themselves sitting at the picnic table on Jensen’s parents’ backyard patio. It was a full table with Alan, Donna, Joshua, Mack, Jensen and Jared. Jared thought it was a good thing the table could ultimately seat eight people. Jensen and Jared were on one side, Mack and Josh on the other, and Jensen’s folks took the end spots. The table was covered in good southern food, and Jared’s stomach rumbled in anticipation.

“Well, Jared. Dive in!” Ms. Donna laughed. “Don’t be shy!”

“It looks fantastic!” Jared smiled in return. “Thank you!”

Conversation ebbed and flowed while everyone was eating. Jared was content to sit and listen to the rhythms of the Ackles family. Occasionally, he’d catch Jensen’s eye and give him a smile. Jensen always smiled happily back at him. At one point, Jensen leaned into Jared and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Jared grinned and gave one back. When he looked away from Jensen, he caught a look of contempt on Mack’s face. He readied himself.

“So Jared,” Mack said. “How did you get so lucky as to be able to follow Jensen halfway across the country so quickly?”

“Um… I have a few weeks off between jobs, so I decided to head this way.”

“You’re between jobs?” Mack asked, all sweetness. “I’m sorry to hear that. So you thought you’d come and live with my parents until you found a new one?”

“No, actually.” Jared replied. “I have another one lined up, and I had some leave time saved up from my previous one. It just worked out well for Jensen and me for me to head this way early. And your mother was kind enough to allow me to stay here, but I also could have stayed with my brother down in Austin.”

“Interesting.” Mackenzie looked down at her plate before asking her next question. “When are you moving out again?”

“Mack,” Donna snapped.

“It’s okay, Ms. Donna.” Jared replied. Mackenzie’s eyes snapped to her mother’s face, then she looked back at Jared. “Jensen and I are moving in together at the end of the week.”

“Oh my God! Jensen! Are you insane?” Mack exploded. “You don’t know him. Now, he’s followed you across the country, and you’re going to move in with him? Or rather, he’s going to move in with you, while jobless. That’s priceless!”

“Mack!” Jensen barked.

“Do you at least have some sort of agreement in place? Some sort of protection? Just in case he decides to take everything and leave while you’re at work one day?”

“That’s not necessary, Mackenzie. Jared isn’t that kind of guy. He would never do something like that.” Jensen’s calm voice sounded over the table.

“Jesus Christ, Jensen! You are not this stupid!” Mackenzie shouted.

“Mackenzie Alexandria Ackles!” Donna fired off. “What is wrong with you?”

“And you? You act like he’s best thing that ever happened! How did he wrap you around his finger like this?” Mackenzie spewed at her mother. “He’s just using you. And you, Jensen! He’s using you to get to your money! And you can’t even see it!”

“That’s enough!” Alan barked from his end of the table. Mackenzie’s eyes widened as she turned to face her father. “You will not insult that young man at my table. You will either apologize for acting like a spoiled brat or you will leave this table right now.”

Mackenzie’s eye shot fire at her father before she tossed her napkin on the table, stood up and turned to leave. Before she entered the house, she turned back to the table, looked at Jensen and said, “Remember this.”

 

After her exit, silence fell over the table. No one looked at anyone else until Josh cleared his throat. Jared looked over to him.

“Jared, I would like to apologize to you on behalf of my sister.” Jared shook his head and started to reply when Josh held up a hand to stop him. “There is absolutely no reason for her to act that way. Or for us to allow it to happen. I was just so shocked at her attack that I couldn’t even process how to stop it. I’m sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault or your responsibility, Josh. She’s a grown woman and has the right to speak her own mind.” Jared said softly. “I don’t blame you.”

“Jared,” Donna said. “We don’t think you are using us. You are a sweet and caring person whom I’m happy to get to know. I know that Jensen cares very deeply for you. He has proven to be a good judge of character, and I trust him.”

“Thank you.” Jared said looking at her.

Jensen reached over and squeezed Jared’s hand.  When Jared looked at him, Jensen tilted his chin in the direction that Mack had gone. “Imma go see what the hell just happened. Give me a minute and then come find me, okay?”

“Mmhmm.” Jared agreed. Jensen laid his hand along Jared’s jawline for a second and then turned to follow his sister into the house.

Once Jensen had left the table, Alan quietly cleared his throat. “Jared, please excuse that child. I’m afraid she has lost her mind.”

Jared cracked a smile and then began to laugh. Alan just grinned in return. After a second, Donna and Josh joined in.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! I've been in the hospital for the last two days (still there). I hope to get the next chapter posted soon. It looks like it might be a longer one. Please bear with me until I get back home. I miss you guys!

When Jensen walked into the kitchen, he found Mackenzie sitting at the table. He checked to be sure no one had followed him before he spoke.

“So are you gonna tell me what your problem is or do I have to guess?” His voice was gruff with the frustration he felt at her treatment of Jared.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she answered, averting her gaze to the tabletop.

“So I have to guess, huh?” Jensen heaved a sigh and moved to sit at the kitchen table beside his sister.

He watched as emotions flitted across her face before she was able to get herself under control. He tapped a finger gently against the wood and waited for her to look up. Eventually, she shifted in her chair and straightened her spine. She lifted her chin and looked right into his face.

“I don’t like Jared. There. I said it. Are you happy?” Her voice was a challenge.

“I don’t care whether you like him or not.” Jensen answered softly. “He’s not going anywhere.”

Mackenzie huffed out a breath and turned her face toward the wall. She shifted in her chair again and tilted her head to the side.

“He’s not right for you, Jensen.” Mackenzie faced her brother again.

Jensen barked out a short laugh and shook his head in disbelief. “That’s interesting. How in the world did you reach that conclusion? What is it, _exactly_ , about him that you don’t like? You’ve just barely met him.”

“I… He seems like he’s hiding something.”

“You’re a bad liar, Mack.” Jensen huffed out a breath. He leaned away from his sister and gave her an intense look. “You want to know what I think?”

“I don’t ca…”

“Stop it!” Jensen bit out. “You _will not_ pull this shit with me, Mack. I’m not going to bow to your every whim. Not anymore. I’m not one of your boyfriends. I’m not mom and dad.” Jensen took a deep breath and then continued. “I’m your older brother. And you will treat me like a mature person, with respect, or we’re done. I’m sick of denying myself because other people want things from me. Things I’m not willing to give. So tell me what’s going on here. Or we’re done.”

Mack’s eyes filled with tears, and she dropped her chin in order not to have to look at Jensen any longer. It remained quiet for a minute until Mack sucked in a deep breath that sounded like a sob. Her hands trembled as she reached up to wipe tears off her cheeks.

“I’m miserable, Jens,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“What’s going on?” Jensen whispered back. He leaned forward and covered his sister’s hand with his own much larger one. “Talk to me.”

“I see the way he looks at you. He loves you.”

Jensen smiled and lifted Mack’s chin, so he could look into her eyes.

“Yeah. He does.” Jensen quirked his lips. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

“No one has ever looked at me like that.” Mack returned.

“Give it time. Someone will. But you have to let people in, Mack.” Jensen tapped his sister on the chin. “You can’t dictate other people’s lives and expect them to just go along with it. You have to allow people to be themselves. You have to let people breathe.”

“I don’t know how. For most of my life, people have just given me whatever I wanted.” Mack laughed without humor. “I’ve always gotten what I’ve wanted simply by pointing at it. But for the last year and a half or so, that hasn’t happened.”

Jensen waited for more. He wanted Mackenzie to share what needed to be said without digging into her to get it. He put his hand back over hers on the table and waited.

“When you still lived here, before you went away to school, you wanted to hang out with me. You liked me. Then you went away. When you came back, you were different. You didn’t want to be my friend anymore. You shut me out.” Mack glanced up at her brother shyly. “Then you moved halfway across the country and never called. You didn’t send me letters. You didn’t seem to care about my life or what was going on with me. I missed you, but I was so angry at you.”

“That had nothing to do with you. I was working through some stuff of my own, Mack.” Jensen replied softly. “I wasn’t much good to anyone there for a while. And the last time we spoke, you told me that I couldn’t see further than my own nose. Remember that?”

“Yeah.” Mack laughed softly. Then the smile drained from her face. “I was fed up. I was trying to talk to you about something important and you just grunted at me. I needed you. And you weren’t there.”

“I’ve been a terrible brother. I know.” Jensen squeezed Mack’s hand. “But just so you know. I shut everyone out of my life. I didn’t have any friends except for Dani. All I did was go to work and come home. I had no life, and I didn’t even realize it.” Jensen took a deep breath. “I got lost in my own shit and couldn’t see my way out. Until I met him.”

“So he’s the answer to your prayers. How nice for you!” Mack sneered. She immediately gasped in shock and said, “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m gonna believe that you realize just how uncalled for that was. I’m gonna believe that your apology was sincere.” Jensen stated angrily with a severe look on his face. “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here. But I’m really close to getting up and walking away.”

“Jensen!” Mack looked at her brother again. “I need you.”

“Guess what, Mack. The world doesn’t revolve around you and what you want or need. I have a life. And I really, _really_ like my life right now. I’m not going to let you crap all over it simply because you aren’t the center of my world. So grow up!”

Mack burst into tears. She fell face first onto the wooden tabletop and simply fell apart. Jensen was terrified. He had no idea what was going on, but he was sure it had to be something horrible.

Just then, Jared peeked around the doorway to the kitchen and caught Jensen’s eye. He arched his eyebrow in question, and Jensen shrugged in return. Jared could see the slight panic on Jensen’s face and silently asked if Jensen wanted him to join them. Jensen shrugged again.

“Jensen, I’m so sorry!” Mackenzie wailed. She lifted her head slightly and placed her hands over her face. “I’m a spoiled rotten princess, and I suck!”

“Mack? I really don’t understand what’s going on.” Jensen sighed and awkwardly patted his sister on the shoulder. “You need to help me out here.”

Mack dropped one hand back to the table but didn’t uncover her eyes. She began to quiet her breathing and huffed out a sigh. Jared remained where he was in the doorway, just in case.

“I’m lost,” she sighed again. “I have absolutely no idea who I am any more. I want… I want to be happy. And I’m not.” She paused. “I have the job I want. I have a great place to live. I have guys who want to be with me. I’m beautiful. And I’m miserable.”

“You’re also modest.” Jensen bit out with a sarcastic edge.

“Shit!” Mack squeaked. “I told you I suck.”

“Break it down for me, Mack.”

“Okay.” Mackenzie sighed again. “Two years ago, my final year of law school, I met this amazing guy. His name is Brent. He’s gorgeous, sweet, funny, kind. He’s really intelligent, could be something amazing, but he works at this crappy little bookstore. No aspirations to do anything else. He’s a clerk, not even a supervisor or anything. We dated for about 6 months, and I was over the moon happy with him. But I kept telling him he could do more than just be a clerk at a crappy bookstore. He told me he was happy, he had everything he needed, so why should he change?”

Jensen grunted in approval. Mack flashed her eyes at him.

“What?” Jensen asked. “Doesn’t he have the right to do what makes him happy?”

Mack’s shoulders hunched, and she let out a moan. “Of course he does!”

“So what happened?” Jensen asked.

“What happened is that I kept harping on about it. Until I drove him away. We got into this huge fight, and he told me that he didn’t want to be with someone who thought he was wasting his life. He walked away. Now, he won’t have anything to do with me.” Mack huffed out a breath and then said, “And I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“Okay, but what does this have to do with me? Or Jared? I don’t get it.” Jensen’s eyes flicked up to Jared still standing in the doorway and waved him in to sit down. As Jared moved toward Jensen, Mackenzie looked up at him and dropped her head again with a groan. “Hey! You’ve been nasty to him since you got here. He deserves to hear this too.”

“I know. I’m embarrassed.” Mack’s voice was soft in apology. She looked up and met Jared’s eyes. “Jared, I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you. It really doesn’t have anything to do with you. I shouldn’t have been like that. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Of course.” Jared responded quickly.

“Oh God,” Mack moaned. “This sucks!”

“C’mon! Tell me what this has to do with us.” Jensen reiterated. He wasn’t going to let this go until he got a full explanation.

“Okay,” Mack huffed. She cleared her throat. “When we were kids, you were like a hero to me, Jensen. Even though I was younger than you, you still hung out with me. I’ve already told you that though.” She paused. “And as you know, I’ve always gotten what I wanted. I thought that was just the way the world worked. When I graduated college, things changed. It was really hard. And I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. You know that Josh and I haven’t ever been that close. I didn’t feel like I could talk to him. Mom and Dad just kept telling me that everything would work out. That I had plenty of time. They never offered any real advice. And I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it. And you had pulled away from me. Then I met Brent.”

Mack was quiet for a minute before speaking again.

“I thought we were doing so well until that night. He never really said anything until he blew up at me. And he didn’t even really blow up at me. That’s wrong.” Mack shook her head. “I keep telling this like it’s his fault. I shouldn’t do that.” She rubbed a hand over her eyes. “He just calmly told me that if I was so unhappy with the way he was living that maybe I should find someone else to be involved with. That he didn’t want to be with someone who was embarrassed by his life choices.”

“Ouch.” Jared whispered.

“No kidding.” Jensen replied.

“Ugh!” Mackenzie tilted her head back and looked up at the ceiling. “It was such a quiet statement, but it killed me. And I couldn’t do anything to change his mind.”

“And you haven’t seen him since?” Jensen asked.

“No. And I can’t stop thinking about him. I’ve dated a few other guys since then, and I keep comparing them to him. And they all fall short. They all have better jobs, more money, granted. But none of them compare to him.” Mack grunted. “He was everything I wanted except for the job thing.”

“What is it about the job thing that you don’t like?” Jared asked.

Jensen let out a laugh, and Jared turned to him with a question on his face.

“I haven’t told you about this family have I?” Jensen asked.

“I guess not because I don’t understand.” Jared replied.

“Mack? Tell Jared what you do for a living.”

“I’m a lawyer. Specifically, I’m a corporate lawyer. I’m just getting started, but I’ve already gotten a position at one of the larger firms out in Houston.”

“Okay?” Jared was confused.

“Joshua is a fully licensed psychiatrist who runs his own non-profit charity that specializes in helping children and teens who have been abused or neglected. He just turned thirty-two. Mackenzie is a corporate lawyer who is working for one of the more prestigious law firms in one of the largest cities in the U.S. She just recently turned twenty-six.” Jensen said rapidly.

“Okay?” Jared said again.

“I’m the black sheep of the family, Jared.” Jensen smiled. “In more ways than just my sexuality.”

“We’re very wealthy.” Mack stated more plainly.

“I’m still not sure…” Jared’s voice faded away. Jensen laid his head on Jared’s shoulder.

“When I told my parents that I wanted to become a physical therapist, they explained to me that I must have been confused. That I meant I wanted to become a surgeon who specialized in orthopedics. When I told them I wanted to pay my own way through school, they told me that I could pay them back once I got my M.D. and my own practice. When they found out I was helping Dani with her company… Well, let’s not go into that.” Jensen grinned.

“So your family is wealthy. Does that mean you have to date wealthy people? You can’t be with someone you love if they aren’t rich?” Jared asked.

“It means that we have been taught, not by our parents, to look down on people who don’t aspire to do more with their lives than be happy.” Jensen responded.

“So Mack can’t date this guy because he doesn’t want to give up his free time doing things he enjoys just so he can work himself to death?” Jared asked.

“It means…” Mack began. “That I gave up my own chance at being happy with someone I really cared about because I was too stuck on the fact that he was happy doing a job that I saw as meaningless and below him.”

“So you don’t like me because you think my job is meaningless and below your family?” Jared asked, confusion written all over his face.

“No!” Mack answered quickly. “I acted like I didn’t like you because I’m jealous of what the two of you have together.” Mack looked away quickly. “I want what you have.”

“Ah!” Jensen nodded. Jared was still looking a bit confused.

“I want to be happy with someone. Regardless of what they do for a living. I don’t want to be surface anymore. I want to have substance like you do, Jensen. You’re doing what you enjoy, and you have someone who loves you. And because…” Mack began and then stopped, looking very embarrassed.

“Yes?” Jensen prompted. “Go on.”

“Oh God!” Mack covered her face again. “This is awful! But now that I’ve started…”

When she paused again, Jensen said, “Yes? Now that you’ve started…”

“I’m also jealous because Jared? You’re gorgeous and sweet, and you’ve been trying so hard even though I’ve been awful to you. And I knew as soon as I laid eyes on you that you will never want me because Jensen is better looking, kinder, and much sweeter than I am. And I knew when I met you that I didn’t have a chance with you.”

“And… Jared’s gay, so you know, he doesn’t want boobs.” Jensen stated plainly. Jared burst out laughing at this point, and Jensen grinned broadly. Mack simply looked embarrassed as a grin twisted across her face.

“Well,” Jared said, through his laughter. “Thank you for the compliment, but yeah. No boobs. Never have wanted those in my life.” He waited for everyone to calm a little before speaking again. “Listen, Mack. Jensen’s road to this point hasn’t been easy.”

“No, it hasn’t. And neither has Jared’s.” Jensen shook his head. “You are going to have to work through your own crap and get right if you want to have a real relationship.”

Mack looked away from the pair again, and the smile fell from her face.

“I know. I’ve been trying.” She gave a feeble smile. “I just don’t know how to do that. It’s really a struggle when everyone around you acts like you can do no wrong and is too afraid to tell you when you mess up, y’know?”

“Nope. I have no idea.” Jensen grinned. Jared dropped an arm around his shoulders and tugged. “I’ve never had that experience.”

“You deserve it more than I ever have.” Mack stated baldly. “I’m just the ill-behaved, fair-haired daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Dallas.”

“The way I hear it, you are also an up-and-coming lawyer at one of the best law firms in Houston.” Jared spoke. “I’d say that makes you smart, too.”

“Yeah, but you know what they say about lawyers.” Jensen smiled when Mack smacked his arm.

“Anyway!” Mack said. “I really am sorry about the way I treated you, Jared. I was jealous and let it get the better of me.”

 

“Looks like things have settled between you and Mackenzie.” Donna stated later that afternoon.

“Yeah. We had a bit of a ‘come-to-Jesus’ meeting in the kitchen a while ago.” Jensen replied. “We’re better now.”

“Good.” Donna patted Jensen on the chest. “I’m very glad to hear that.”

“I want to thank you for the hotel room, Ms. Donna.” Jared said sincerely. “I was very confused until I saw the place. I thought I had done something wrong and you were sending me away.”

“Oh, honey! No!” Donna quickly took Jared’s hand. “No. I just wanted the two of you to have some space. I’m very glad that you’re here.”

“Yes, ma’am. I realized that as soon as I walked through the front doors of the hotel.” Jared squeezed her hand. “Thank you for welcoming me into the family and being so kind. I’m truly grateful.”

“My pleasure, sweetheart.”


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Jared and Jensen spent a couple more hours with Jensen’s family. It was around three when they said their goodbyes and made their way to the front door. Before they left, Mackenzie stopped Jared by tugging gently on his forearm. When he faced her, she asked if he would be interested in coming out to Houston some time to see a baseball game. When he agreed, she apologized again for being so dismissive toward him.

“Listen, I get it. It’s very difficult to see the world with different eyes when you’ve been taught to see things with a skewed perspective.” Jared looked at his shoes before back up into Mack’s eyes. “Trust me when I say that it can take a while to get your perspective back. One day we’ll sit down, and I’ll explain what life is like from the other side.”

“Thank you for being so forgiving.” Mackenzie responded. “I really would like to get to know you.”

“Same here.” Jared smiled. He looked up and caught Jensen’s eye. “Just give Jensen a break, please. He needs a chance to be happy, too.”

“I will. I promise.” Mackenzie lifted up to wrap her arms around Jared’s neck. He leaned forward to help her out. “Tell him I promise to do better.”

“He knows.” After breaking the embrace, Jared pointed at Jensen who was smiling over at them. “Take care of yourself. And let me know about the baseball. That really sounds like fun!”

 

Before pulling out of the driveway, Jensen turned to Jared and said, “Well?”

Jared grinned and his eyes twinkled. “Well what?”

“Well… What did my brat of a sister say to you?” Jensen grinned.

“She offered for us to go to Houston for a visit. Said something about going to see a baseball game together. Then she apologized again, said she wants to get to know me better.”

Jensen let out a happy sigh before leaning in towards Jared. After placing a small, quick kiss on the tip of Jared’s nose, he said, “I knew you’d get to her. I don’t know how anybody could resist you.”

Jared laughed in response and then tucked his face into Jensen’s neck. “It wouldn’t matter.”

“I know.” Jensen replied and leaned his head against Jared’s. “It does make things easier, but it wouldn’t matter one way or another. I’m not letting you go.”

Jared smiled into Jensen’s neck, placing a quick kiss there before pulling away. Before letting Jensen pull away, Jared placed his hand behind Jensen’s head and held him still. He looked deeply into Jensen’s eyes before leaning forward to kiss him soundly on the lips. When he pulled away, he grinned broadly before asking what was next. They decided to head back to the hotel to get some more usage out of Donna’s money.

 

Once they got back to the hotel and got situated in their room, Jensen wrapped both arms around Jared and simply held on. Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen in return and waited for the revelations to begin. After all of the drama of the reunion and the drama with Mack, Jared felt like a conversation needed to happen. He knew it would happen here, in the safety of this room. Hotel rooms had been good to them in the past after all.

“I’m sorry, Jay. I should have warned you better than I did. I wasn’t sure how to tell you all of the truths about my family.” Jensen spoke softly. “It’s complicated and weird. And it really doesn’t have much to do with who I am. It hasn’t for such a long time that I honestly forget about it until I get around them all again.”

“It’s okay.” Jared responded. “It did take me by surprise when I pulled in to your grandfather’s ranch though. I mean, my goodness! That place is huge!”

“Yeah.” Jensen sighed and released Jared. “Let’s sit down.”

They made their way over to couch that was in the seating area. Jensen sat facing Jared with one leg bent up on the sofa. Jared stretched his legs out in front of him on the floor but turned his body toward Jensen.

“My family’s money comes from both sides but for different reasons. The thing they have in common is that they both prize hard-work and drive. My mom’s family is self-made. My grandfather worked his ass off to get where he did. That land was paid for with blood and dedication as much as cash. He was a great man. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss him and my Grandma Rose. My dad’s family is a different animal altogether. The money on that side goes back a long way. They have been well-to-do for many, many years. My dad’s generation is probably the first one that has tried to fight against the standards and expectations of the earlier generations. There are a lot of stories from the previous generations of people getting sent away for not behaving appropriately. Or getting cut off for making choices the family didn’t agree to. Pretty cut-throat stuff, I gotta admit.

“Even though my dad and his siblings are not that way, the expectations still filter through sometimes. There is a lot of history there to overcome in just a few years. My dad is probably the one who has fought against it the hardest. Maybe because of me. I don’t know.” Jensen shrugged, rubbed a hand over his face, and then continued.

“The thing is… when we were growing up, we were expected to be a certain way, act a certain way. We were taught to expect a certain level of respect from everyone else because of who we are. My mom fought against us learning that mentality. We never had maids or cooks or any of that. You’ve seen our house. Nice but moderately so. My mom taught us to work hard for what we want. But Mackenzie? She was the apple of everyone’s eye. Everyone doted on her. She never had to work for anything. Like she said, she pointed and it was hers.

“Josh, on the hand, was the first born son of the first born son. Everyone told him that he would accomplish great things one day. He would be the one to go forth and conquer. It was a lot of pressure on him because there was no room for failure of any kind. No one ever suggested that anything less than success would be acceptable. Now, again… my father tried not to put that sort of pressure on Josh. But the previous generations of our family had no such issue. Josh and I have talked about it on multiple occasions. And he believed all of that nonsense until he started college. Then he made peace with all of it and did what he wanted to do. Of course, again. I may have had something to do with that. I don’t know. But he’s still successful. And he’s helped a lot of people.

“I didn’t get either of those very different sets of pressures. I was the middle child. And I am, according to the family and many others, the best looking one of the bunch. So what did that get me? Everyone treated me as if there was no way I could be intelligent _because_ I was good-looking. I didn’t have to be successful because I wasn’t the first born. Basically, I was petted or ignored. No use to anyone except as something to look at. My parents never saw me that way. My mother was always talking about how smart I am. My dad always asked my advice on things. As you know, they both stood up for me. I knew I could be more than the extended family gave me credit for, but I didn’t want to compete to get that attention. So… I crawled into my shell and remained quiet. I was a friend to my siblings. And other than one really great friend in junior high and the beginning of high school, I kept to myself.

“Well, you already know how that went. With both my mom’s family at the reunion and at college. I don’t talk about the wealth my family has because it has never done anything for me. I don’t want it because it comes with so much baggage and heartache. I’d rather do what I love and be with whom I love than try to fit into some mold made by people who don’t know the first thing about me.”

“Well, that makes the rest of your story that much more heartbreaking.” Jared said softly. “It also makes some of the things your father said make so much more sense.”

“How’s that?”

“When I slipped out of bed this morning and we talked? He asked me if I was with you because you were, how did he put it? ‘A good looking young man.’” Jared paused, and Jensen covered his face.

“How did that come about?” Jensen asked from behind his hands, completely embarrassed.

“He asked if I was serious about you.” Jared began. He waited for Jensen to drop his hands in order to see his expression when he continued. “I’m afraid I was a bit nervous and still very tired, so I started blathering on about all the myriad reasons why I’m in love with you.”

Jensen’s smile covered his face from ear-to-ear. “Some time in the near future, you’re going to have to tell me those reasons.”

“I have told you, but I’d be happy to tell you again.” Jared smiled in return. “But with all the reasons I gave him, I’m sorry, I neglected to list how incredibly attractive you are. So he asked me about it. Said he thought that might be at the top of my list. I told him that I’ve definitely noticed how gorgeous you are, but that I really didn’t care about that. That you are beautiful on the inside. That you make me want to be a better person. That you make me happy, and you’ve let me into your world. You’ve shown me who you really are. And that’s much more important to me than how you look.”

Jensen leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jared’s. Jared returned the sweet kiss and waited for Jensen to lean away before he continued to speak.

“Jensen. He gave me his blessing. I told him I planned to spend the rest of my life with you, and he gave me his blessing to be with you.” Jensen looked at Jared with tears in his eyes.

“Really?” Jensen gasped.

Jared nodded slowly and then said, “He told me that you’ve heard all your life that you’re good-looking. That you have a lot of baggage because of your family. But he told me that you are much more than that. He told me not to let the family get in the way of us. He said, and I’m gonna quote him as well as I can because it’s important that I get it right, ‘take care of him, love him, respect him, help him when he needs you and support him when he doesn’t. Show him that he’s more than what’s on the outside.’ He also said for us to stay true to who we are as individuals and who we are as a couple. He said if we do that, we’ll be fine. Then I asked for his blessing, and he gave it.”

“Wow! I think that’s probably the longest conversation my dad has ever had with anyone other than my mother for years.” Jensen grinned and leaned forward for another kiss. He quickly wiped his eyes with his thumb. “Thank you for telling me that, Jay. It means a lot. Both what you said and what he said in return. I struggle with my relationship with my dad for a lot reasons. But it’s nice to know that he understands who I am. And for him to tell you that? That means he really trusts you and believes in us.”

Jared nodded his head and pressed his forehead to Jensen’s. “I thought the same thing. Your father likes me, Jensen. And given the fact that your mother got us this amazing hotel room, I think your mother likes me too.”

Jensen chuckled, then he pushed forward until he was laying on Jared. “Yeah, I think she likes you, too.”

Conversation was put on hold for a while until the pair reacquainted themselves a bit more. When they finally reemerged from the sofa, Jared’s hair was a mess and Jensen’s lips were pink and even more swollen than usual. They both wore satisfied smiles and glowing cheeks.

 

They found a steakhouse within walking distance of the hotel and decided to head that direction for dinner. As they walked their shoulders and hands brushed, but they each decided individually that holding hands might not be a good choice.

They chatted happily over dinner, keeping things light and easy. Jared filled Jensen in on the apartment and Gen, telling him about the new arrangements there. Jensen told Jared a bit more about Memphis and all the interesting things he saw while he was there. He bragged about his breakfast in the oldest diner in Memphis. Jared countered that by talking about his trip to the museum with Franklin and Steve.

Afterward they decided to walk to the Kennedy Memorial and spent some time there. It was a somber location, but they both thought it was really cool. They continued on to Dealey Plaza and read some of the history of the events that made the place famous.

On the way back to the hotel, they stopped at a pub and got a snack and a couple of beers. They ended up talking about their childhoods. Jensen told Jared about his best friend from junior high into high school and about his time on the baseball team. Jared shared stories of debate team and some of the crazy competitions he had been involved in.

As they left the bar, Jared stopped dead in his tracks and double over laughing. Jensen started looking around trying to figure out what was so funny. Jared eventually pointed at the street sign. They were on Ross Avenue. Jensen began to chuckle as well.

“You have a street named after you,” Jared continued laughing.

“Come on, Jay!” Jensen giggled. “Of course I do. I’m awesome like that.”

Jared stood up, still grinning and leaned close. He brushed a quick kiss over Jensen’s cheek and whispered, “Yeah, you are.”

They pulled away from each other slowly and made their way back to the hotel, this time with their fingers entwined.

 

Once they got back to their room and closed the door behind them, Jensen took Jared’s hand in his own and headed toward the bathroom. When Jared figured out where they were heading, he blushed and tugged on Jensen’s hand.

“Yeah?” Jensen turned back to look at Jared.

“Where are we going?”

“To take a shower and get ready for bed.” Jensen replied. “I thought we could save time. Shower together. Is that a bad idea?”

Jared’s breath caught in his throat. “I’ve never done that with anyone before.”

“Guess what?” Jensen returned. “Neither have I, but I want to. With you.”

“Yeah?” Jared grinned. “Okay.”

Jensen nodded and began to back up toward the bathroom door still holding Jared’s hand.

“Um, Jensen.” Jared stopped moving. “I’m nervous.”

“It’s just me. It’s just us.” Jensen answered. “Nothing to be nervous about.”

“I don’t want to get this wrong.” Jared answered sounding very young.

“You can’t get this wrong.” Jensen answered. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We can learn and build this together. I won’t demand anything you don’t want to give. I just want to see what you look like naked and wet.”

Jared’s face heated up immediately when he thought of Jensen in the same condition. His breath shuddered through his chest as he took a deep breath. He met Jensen’s eyes and nodded, trying to be brave in the face of something new.

“Well, that sounds like a great idea from my side of things.” Jared said.

Jensen smiled and started moving again. Before he entered the bathroom, he pulled his t-shirt over his head and watched Jared’s eyes dilate. He reached forward to tug on Jared’s shirt, but Jared reached for it first. Jared began to unbutton it and slid it down over his arms. After tossing the shirt toward the chair, Jared reached for Jensen’s hand and placed it on his chest, right over his heart.

“I’ve missed feeling your hands on me,” Jared whispered. He took another step closer to Jensen and then whispered. “I’ve missed having my hands on you.”

Jensen moved his other hand forward and laid it on Jared’s upper stomach. Then he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Jared’s collarbone and gave it a lick. Jared moaned softly and wrapped his hands around Jensen hips, pulling them closer together.

“Don’t think.” Jensen whispered while continuing to move his mouth along Jared’s chest, dropping kisses between sentences. “Just follow your heart, your instinct. If something gets to be too much, tell me. I’ll do the same. We can’t get this wrong. We can only learn.”

“Okay,” Jared whispered. “I love you, Jensen.”

“Love you, too.”

Jared dipped his head down and began to nibble on Jensen’s ear, finding and then licking that spot behind it. Jensen tilted his head further to the side to give him more room. Jared’s hand slid from Jensen’s hips to his back and then began to smooth the skin along his spine and along the waist of his jeans. Jensen moved closer still and ran his hands along Jared’s sides and then along his waistband.

“Do you need to take care of anything before I start the water?” Jensen asked quietly.

“No, I’m good.” Jared returned, nibbling along Jensen’s jawline. “How about you?”

“Nope.” Jensen pulled away and turned toward the bathroom again. He moved to the oversized glass shower and opened the door. “Gotta love my mom’s taste in hotel rooms. This shower is amazing!”

Jared ran his hand along Jensen’s back, finding and rubbing the scar from the bar fight again. Once more, Jared found himself thankful that Jensen wasn’t further injured from that attack. He closed his eyes briefly against the dark thoughts that followed his thankfulness. Jensen was fine. No reason to allow those thoughts any room in his head.

Jared watched as Jensen started the water and adjusted the temperature, following the grace and fluidity of his movements with his eyes. Now that he had begun to touch his partner, he found it difficult to stop. Jensen had told him to trust his heart and his instincts, so he was trying to do just that. When Jensen looked back over his shoulder at Jared and gave him a heated smile, Jared felt himself grow dizzy with desire. He reached to his jeans to unfasten them, but Jensen placed his hand over Jared’s fingers.

“Let me?” he whispered.

Jared let go and moved his hands to Jensen’s shoulders, but his eyes followed Jensen’s fingers as they worked at the button and the zipper on his pants. Once they were undone, Jensen slid his fingers along the rapidly hardening ridge of Jared’s manhood. Jared’s eyes fluttered closed and then opened again to find Jensen’s unbelievable green eyes fixed on him. Jared smiled and ran his right hand up toward Jensen’s neck giving a slight squeeze to the tendons there. Jensen leaned his head in that direction and began to slide Jared’s jeans down his legs. Once they hit the floor, Jared stepped out of them and kicked them away from his feet. Jensen then brought his hands to his own jeans and looked a question at Jared before beginning to unfasten them.

“Go ahead. I want to watch.” Jared’s voice was husky, and he swallowed. “Go slowly, please.”

Jensen nodded, not trusting his own voice, and want ran through his veins. His fingers worked the button on his own pants, and he felt Jared’s fingers running down his chest and moving toward his nipples. When they began to brush those sensitive nubs, Jensen moaned softly. He slowly unzipped his fly and waited to be able to open his eyes before pushing his jeans down.

Jared waited until Jensen stood straight again before he ran his hands down Jensen’s abdominal muscles, once again mapping out each one with a fingertip. His fingers finally reached Jensen’s boxer briefs. He drew his fingers along the top front before running them along the bulge that was continuing to grow as he watched.

Jensen’s breath caught when Jared’s fingers found his cock. His hips thrust forward slightly, seeking out more contact. Jared’s fingers ran along the underside of his growing portion. Jensen rested his head forward on Jared’s pectorals and concentrated on breathing.

“We’d better get in the shower soon.” Jared’s ragged voice sounded in the small, misty room.

“Yeah,” Jensen answered. “Do you want me to finish undressing you?”

“No, I’ve got it. You do you.”

“Okay.” Jensen stood up and moved to hook his fingers in the waistband and push. As he did, he heard Jared squeak slightly. He glanced up at his partner to be sure everything was okay. “You alright?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t trust myself.” Jared’s voice was breathless and soft.

“What?” Jensen tried to focus.

“When I remembered how beautiful you were, before I got here, I didn’t trust that I was remembering correctly.” Jared grinned. “And I wasn’t. You’re even more amazing than I remembered.”

“Stop it!” Jensen laughed. “It’s just a dick.”

“No. It isn’t.” Jared grew serious. “It’s yours. And you’re mine. And it’s perfect.”

Jensen reached up with both hands and pulled Jared’s mouth down to his own. Jared immediately opened up and allowed Jensen in. Jensen ran his tongue along Jared’s and felt his hips thrust forward again. He slid his hands down Jared’s body until he felt the cloth of Jared’s underwear. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and began to slide them down. He felt Jared’s cock gently tapping on his own stomach as Jared wrangled his underwear down his legs, never once giving up on the kiss.

Once they were both completely bare, Jensen broke the kiss and turned to move into the shower. Jared wrapped his hands around Jensen’s hips again and followed him into the shower. Jensen sighed with pleasure as the warm water hit him in the chest. He allowed it to run across his face and body before turning to face Jared. Jared’s eyes were glued to Jensen and watched the water running down his body as Jensen wet his back half.

Jared leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jensen’s again. There was no way that Jensen was going to allow that much room to exist between them right now. He reached over and tugged on Jared’s hip to move him closer and into the water spray. Jared came willingly and enjoyed the feeling of the warm water on his own chest and face. Jensen took his turn watching the water run along Jared’s sculpted body. He ran a finger along Jared’s hip bones and along the space between them, eventually tangling his fingers in the trail of dark brown hair that ran from belly to cock.

After both of them were thoroughly wet, Jensen reached for the hotel-provided soap. He struggled removing the paper cover and had to laugh at himself for not doing this part first. Jared giggled at his efforts, but he eventually helped Jensen get the paper out of the way.

“Can I wash you?” Jared asked quietly, looking up from under his eyelashes.

“I think that would be great.” Jensen responded.

Jared quickly took the soap and began to work up a lather. He ran his hands over Jensen’s neck and shoulders cleaning those easily reached areas before stepping closer in order to reach around Jensen to wash his back. He tucked his hands under Jensen’s arms to wash his pits, and then ran them forward along his chest and belly. Before moving lower, Jared once again worked up a good lather with the bar of soap and then ran his hands along Jensen’s hips. Jared moved out of the water spray and turned Jensen into it before stooping down to continue bathing Jensen’s legs, first the left, then the right. As he finished he ran his hands along the inside of Jensen’s knees and thighs, stopping just before getting to his crotch. Jared glanced up for permission before continuing. Jensen nodded and Jared gently soaped Jensen’s scrotum and perineum before continuing to his penis and lower belly.

Jensen’s eyes fluttered closed as Jared’s enormous hands soaped him thoroughly. When Jared ran his hands underneath to reach his rear, Jensen automatically spread his legs further apart. Jared groaned softly as he watched Jensen making more room for him. He soaped Jensen’s buttocks and then ran a finger between his cheeks before moving forward again to concentrate once again on Jensen’s cock.

He wrapped one hand around it and cradled Jensen’s balls in his other hand. Slowly he began to stroke his soapy hands up and down Jensen’s shaft. He paid very close attention to the sensitive pocket of nerves just below the head and to the vein running the length of the underside.

Jensen’s head thumped back against the shower wall, and he struggled to maintain his upright position. One of Jared’s hand moved slowly up Jensen’s belly and chest until it reached his nipples again, while the other continued the slow stroking. Jensen knew if he looked down, he would be gone. Suddenly the pressure shifted and the angle changed and he felt Jared kissing him. Jared had managed to get to his feet while the stroking never stopped nor slowed. Jensen responded to the kisses Jared gave him the best that he could. He wrapped his hands around Jared’s biceps and held on. Jared pulled slightly away from Jensen’s mouth for a moment.

“Open your eyes, Jen. Let me see you.”

Jensen slowly blinked his eyes open, looking straight into Jared’s gorgeous multi-colored eyes. Jared’s hand sped up the slightest bit. A little more pressure on the down stroke and a twist on the up, and Jensen was gone. His mouth dropped open and sounds came through it that he couldn’t control. His hips jerked forward and then slammed back again, over and over until he couldn’t move anymore. He realized he was still squeezing Jared’s arms and slowly released his grip. Jared plunged forward to take his mouth again. Hot, penetrating kisses that Jensen couldn’t follow, much less return. Before he knew it, Jared tore his mouth away and leaned his head into Jensen’s shoulder moaning his name, while a hot splatter hit Jensen’s stomach. Jared’s body jerked and quivered once, twice, three times and then he too settled into a lethargy.

“Jay?” Jensen whispered. “Jay, babe?”

“Yeah?” came Jared’s weakened and wrung out voice. “Yeah, Jensen.”

“You okay?”

“I can’t feel my legs. But I think I’m still standing.”

Jensen huffed out a half laugh and threw his arm around Jared’s shoulder. As his breathing slowed down, he made an attempt to stand up straight, but Jared’s weight against him kept him from moving.

“Well, that makes two of us.” Jensen whispered. Jared chuckled in response. “Do you want me to wash you now.”

Jared shook his head and tried to stand. “No, I think I’d better do it. Just need to get finished quickly, so I can sit down.”

“Gotcha.” Jensen responded. He rinsed his belly off quickly and checked for any other leftover soap, and then he moved out of the shower and grabbed a towel. While he dried off, Jared quickly washed the important parts and rinsed himself off as well.

 

After getting completely dry and finishing up in the bathroom, both men made their way to the king-sized bed that awaited them. Jared flopped down on his back and stared at the ceiling.

“Wow! That was amazing!” Jared moaned out.

“Yeah, it was.” Jensen answered from the window where he was looking out at the city at night. “But I didn’t even get to do anything.”

“Next time. I promise!” Jared laughed.

Jensen walked over to the bed and crawled up to lay beside his partner. He tucked himself into Jared’s side, placing his head right over Jared’s heart.

“Next time,” he grinned. “I did like being washed by you though. I have to admit.”

“Good.” Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen and pulled him in tighter.

“What time is it?”

“Don’t know. Don’t really care. Why?”

“Just curious.” Jensen kissed Jared’s still bare chest. Jared ran his hand up and down Jensen’s back for a moment before he asked, “Can I ask you a question about what your dad said to me?”

“Of course,” Jensen answered sleepily. “What’s up?”

“He said that before I got there, you were trying to tell them about me. He didn’t want you to, and it made you upset. What happened?”

“Huh,” Jensen lifted his head and rested his chin on Jared’s chest. He reached up and began playing with Jared’s hair. “I’ve never been in love before. I wanted to tell them about you, share you with them. I like talking about you and wanted to do that with them for a little while. I started trying to talk about you and dad cut me off. It wasn’t fair. He said that he’d meet you when you got there, form his own opinion. It pissed me off.”

“You like talking about me?” Jared asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Yes, you big goof!” Jensen laughed as he tugged a hunk of Jared’s hair. Jared’s deep laugh rumbled through his chest. Jensen grew thoughtful for a moment and then said, “It did make me think about what he would say when he saw us together though. I was never sure about my dad. I mean, he stood up for me that day, but he’s never said he was okay with me and my ‘proclivities’ before.”

“Proclivities?” Jared asked, seriously. “That sounds like a quote from someone.”

“Yeah, some of the family who couldn’t get their minds wrapped around the idea that I wasn’t gonna marry some sweet girl and have lots of babies.” Jensen sat up abruptly and put his hand on Jared’s stomach. He gently began to tug on the hairs below Jared’s belly button. “Look, that doesn’t matter to me. The important people in my family understand that I don’t act the way the rest of the family expects me to. The rest of the family doesn’t matter to me.”

“Okay,” Jared replied softly. “I understand.”

“My dad is the one who really mattered. And I got that now. I got his acceptance.” Jensen looked away before continuing to speak. “We had a conversation one morning. Was it yesterday? God, time is flying suddenly after going too damn slow for the last two weeks.” He shook his head and then rubbed his hand roughly through his hair. “I was talking to my mom over the breakfast table, and I asked her how dad was feeling about everything. He overheard me.”

“Well, that’s awkward.” Jared sat up to be able to watch Jensen’s face better.

“Yeah,” Jensen huffed. “I thought it was gonna be worse than it turned out to be. I said something about him being uncomfortable around us, y’know, if we were showing affection or whatever. He said he wasn’t sure how he was gonna feel. He told me that I had the right to love whoever I wanted, and he hoped he’d be okay with us together. He told me that he loves me and that my sexuality is a small part of who I am in his eyes. He said he knew it was important to me, but that it wasn’t part of how he feels about me or what he wants for me.”

“Wow, man.” Jared took Jensen’s hand in his own. “That’s incredible.”

“Yeah, but it took me a few days to really process that.” Jensen chuckled and shook his head again. “I forgot! I haven’t told you about Ms. Maybelle.”

“Who?” Jared asked quietly.

“Ms. Maybelle. I met her on my way through Memphis. It was weird.”

When Jensen failed to continue, Jared tugged his hand a little. “What happened?”

“I was getting ready to leave the hotel, and I got a bit overwhelmed. I was standing by the truck, and this little old lady started talking to me. She said her name was Ms. Maybelle. It was weird, man. She knew how much I was hurting, and she told me I needed to forgive myself for walking away from you that first day. She said that we had to earn our relationship. That we were bound to be together, but we had to earn it.”

“So that’s why we couldn’t be together right away? And why we had to spend time apart from one another?” Jared questioned in a thoughtful voice. “I get it.”

“Huh?” Jensen looked confused.

“It couldn’t be easy or we wouldn’t appreciate it.” Jared returned. He chuckled. “Y’know, Franklin and Steve said that we were soulmates. That once we found each other and made the connection that we wouldn’t be able to stay apart for very long without feeling absolutely horrible.”

“Well, I got to agree with them there. I did feel absolutely horrible.” Jensen huffed.

“Yeah, me too.” Jared paused looking sad. “Jen, I seriously was losing it without you. At first, when we hung up the phone, I felt so happy that you were in my life. Then after the first few days of you being gone, I cried, every time we hung up. It was so much part of the norm that Gen would come and find me and hold me until I could get put back together again. Geez, that sounds so weak.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Jensen soothed. “I was a wreck myself. My parents could see how miserable I was. Dad thought I was still messed up from years ago. It was bad. But it was also weird. After I spoke to Ms. Maybelle, I felt better. Like what she said was absolute. I’m telling you, Jay. It was a strange interaction. I swear the woman was psychic or something.”

“I believe you.” Jared lifted Jensen’s hand to his own heart again. “Were there any other revelations while we were apart?”

“I think I fully accepted the fact that I’m gay.” Jensen chuckled.

“Huh? I thought that was something you accepted a long time ago.”

“I guess not. I always felt the need to apologize for it. Or to skirt the issue and not admit it to people. Like it was something to be ashamed of.” Jensen looked at Jared with determination in his eyes. “But I don’t feel that way anymore. I let all of that go. I am who I am. I love whom I love. And that’s really it.”

“I thought you made that decision already.” Jared looked confused again.

“In theory. I had made that decision.” Jensen explained. “But I never really had a reason to fight for it. I didn’t have anyone I was willing to stand up for. Now I do.” Jensen smiled at his partner. He placed his free hand on Jared’s shoulder and leaned in for a kiss. “I’d get up on the tallest building and shout out to the world how much I love you if I needed to. Without hesitation.”

Jared kissed Jensen back and whispered, “You’re mine. I’m yours. I love you.”

“And I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it took a while for this chapter to be release. I hadn't quite gotten it completed when I had to go into the hospital. Well, I finally got home and got enough rest that I felt like it wouldn't be a load of mumbo-jumbo when I finally pushed the publish button. Thank you for waiting. And for coming on this journey with me (and the boys).


End file.
